Fall 2014
Convocation Celebration Faculty, staff, students, alumnae, family and friends enjoyed the Convocation Family Picnic on Friday, September 5.
Fall 2014
Contents
Commencement 38
EDITOR Wanda Motley Odom Director of Marketing and Communications CONTRIBUTORS Ethan Ake Upper School Science Teacher Mariandl M.C. Hufford Director for Academic Affairs and the Center for the Advancement of Girls Christina Jordan CAG Graduate Assistant
Convocation 8
Our Mission 26
Amanda Mahnke Social Media & Media Relations Manager Brooke Norrett Director of Alumnae Relations Pat Voigt Senior Development Advisor Kristen Schinella Board of Trustees PHOTOGRAPHY Douglas Benedict, Michael Branscom, Amanda Mahnke, Karen Mosimann, Donna Meyer, Jim Roese, Linda Walters THE AGNES IRWIN SCHOOL Ithan Avenue and Conestoga Road Rosemont, PA 19010-1042 Grades PreK–4 Tel 610.525.7600 Fax 610.526.1875 Grades 5–12 Tel 610.525.8400 Fax 610.525.8908 www.agnesirwin.org
The Agnes Irwin School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in administration of its admission and educational practices, financial aid program, athletic and other school-administered programs.
On the Cover Head of School Wendy L. Hill receives a present from Caroline Glaser, Class of 2019, given by Middle School students in recognition of her Convocation.
FEATURES
8 Embrace of A New Day: Community Welcomes Wendy L. Hill 22 Exponential Fun: Fifth Grade Math Night Reinforces Class Lessons 24 Five Years Strong: Akilah Club Continues to Raise Awareness 26 Revising the Agnes Irwin Mission Statement 30 Creating Foundations: New Middle School Arts Program Draws on a Variety of Mediums 32 What It Takes: Marin Bloise ’15 Sets Records on the Track and on the Springboard 44 Because of You... We Dared to Do More 46 Annie Murphy Paul ’91: Thinking About Thinking
DEPARTMENTS
2 From the Head of School 3 Around Campus 27 Center for the Advancement of Girls (CAG) 34 Faculty 38 Commencement 48 Reunion 55 Class Notes Section Here :: www.agnesirwin.org
1
A MESSAGE FROM
Wendy Hill
H E AD O F SCH O O L
L
ast spring during one of my periodic visits to campus, an owl fledgling was discovered perched in the corner of
I look forward to continuing to provide for our students the finest
a window ledge near the School’s new main entrance to the
education and the most meaningful
Anne S. Lenox Lobby. I took this as a good omen. I imagined
experiences, ones that will enable
that this young owl had recently taken off on a new flight and
our girls to soar. The features in
had landed, perhaps out of curiosity, in what must have seemed
this issue point to the richness
like a warm and welcoming place. Just like that young owl, I was
of our academic program and
about to embark on a new flight of my own, one for which I
the breadth of our faculty’s
would turn in my (Lafayette College) leopard spots for sleek and
experiences, from the military background of
powerful Agnes Irwin owl feathers.
our newest Classics teacher to the revised arts curriculum
To prepare for my new niche, I took the opportunity to read and learn as much as I could about the School, our history and our current programs. What I discovered only increased my initial positive impressions of the educational opportunities we
in Middle School, the cultural diversity of activities in Lower School, and an exciting mentoring program, AIS Allied, launched by our Center for the Advancement of Girls (CAG). Our alumnae continue to amaze as well, and their
offer our students. Now that I have settled into my new roost
achievements are highlighted in the recollections of Reunion
as Head of School, I have enjoyed an even more expansive view
Weekend and the personal and family updates in Class Notes.
of the School, our students, teachers, and staff. From this aerie,
During the 2014 Reunion, there was spirited competition
it has become quite clear that there is much to celebrate and
among alumnae in support of the annual fund, with two classes
praise. I learn daily of just what a special place The Agnes Irwin
tying for the Sophy Dallas Irwin Award — given for the highest
School is and the extraordinary education we provide to our
dollar amount raised in Reunion gifts.
students. Our faculty and dedicated staff are focused on the core of our mission — to empower our students to learn, to lead, and to live a legacy. As I have stated before, it is my privilege to serve as the
As a community, we have much to celebrate, much to cherish, much to emulate. I am grateful to now be part of furthering the legacy of such a remarkable institution. Enjoy this fall issue!
13th Head of The Agnes Irwin School, an institution with a rich history and dedication to the education of girls and young women. In this issue of the AIS magazine, you will read about the wonderful Convocation Celebration that occurred just after
Wendy L. Hill
the start of the new school year. It was a joyous occasion that
Head of School
brought together the entire school community; we heard many heartfelt expressions of what has made and what continues to make Agnes Irwin such “a magical place,” as one parent remarked.
2
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
Shown above: The visiting owlet was eventually moved to a more secluded perch in a campus tree by second grade teacher and accomplished birder Joe Flood.
Around Campus LOWER SCHOOL • MIDDLE SCHOOL • UPPER SCHOOL
AIS LOWER SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN FIESTA DAY Learning about Spanish culture is as much a part of the Spanish language curriculum in Lower School as learning hola and uno, dos, tres. Amelia Marshall (left) and Gabrielle Glaser make salsa during a Spanish class last spring.
RITE OF PASSAGE Fourth graders weave Maypole ribbons in yellow and blue, marking a Lower School tradition that dates back decades. Last May, the girls kept the weaving up long enough to cover the top of the pole with a foot of intertwined ribbons.
BUBBLE BUBBLE… Second graders Gracie Ivancich (left) and CiCi Curran observe what happens when water meets dry ice, exploring vapor and evaporation during a science class last year.
SPRING CONCERT Fourth graders Tori Monroe (left) and MaryGrace Popky (center) confer with third grader Harper Bilash before the annual Spring Concert in April. Students played string and wind instruments, and performed choral arrangements.
Around Campus :: www.agnesirwin.org
3
Around Campus AIS LOWER SCHOOL JUST DESSERT Fourth graders Audrey Abbott (left) and Charlotte Scott prepare dessert for the Ardmore Food Pantry, which hosts dinner once a month for about 100 people in underserved communities. As part of its community service projects, the fourth grade provided dessert for one dinner last year.
MOVING UP Lower School marks the end of fourth grade with a Moving Up Day celebration for parents, students and faculty alike. Shown here in May are (from right) Sara Yamada, Annabelle Kress, Samantha Kania, Ashleigh Weigle and Colby Macaione.
DOLLY GAUL DAY OF SERVICE First graders Maya Bright (left) and Brooke Wolitarsky decorate reusable grocery bags to give to a food donation center for patrons to use when getting provisions last school year. The girls also made a bag for themselves.
OH WHAT FUN! PreK student Ellaria Vecsey is all smiles during story time this fall with her classmates. PreKindergarten at Agnes Irwin provides our youngest girls with lots of time to explore their interests.
4
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
Around Campus AIS MIDDLE SCHOOL ST. IGNATIUS DAY A student from the St. Ignatius School in West Philadelphia hops through an obstacle course in the new gymnasium during the annual field day organized by the eighth grade, held last year on May 1.
CELEBRATION 2018 Eighth graders (left to right) Maria Pansini, Emma Macaione, Leigh Marshall, Emily Katznelson, Elizabeth McCarthy, Ally Aronsky, Lilia Feracci, Samantha Hark, Katie Mahoney and Paige Brala mark the end of Middle School at their June graduation.
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Seventh grade students learn about how food sources such as tomatoes, corn, wheat and sheep moved around the world after the voyages of Christopher Columbus connected the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. (Clockwise from left) Julia Sprague, Korrin Carter, Claudia Berthold, Libby McNeil, Nia McCune and Grace Manganola share dishes they prepared using the foods they studied.
GREEK DAY Fifth graders Libby Lercat (left) and Emily Herne enjoy special treats during last spring’s Greek Day, when they dress in the style of ancient Greece and share other Greek customs in a culminating celebration of their study of ancient Greece.
STARS & STRIPES COMPETE Rachel Mashek (left) and Tarah Paul compete in a foot race during Stars & Stripes Day, an annual spirit and team-building competition in the Middle School.
Around Campus :: www.agnesirwin.org
5
Around Campus AIS UPPER SCHOOL AKILAH VISIT Nadine Niyitegeka, an alumna of the Akilah Institute in Rwanda, speaks to a class during a September visit to share her story about the importance of education for girls in her central African nation. AIS’s student-run Akilah Club has supported the all-girls’ school for five years through fundraising and pen pal programs.
CLASS NIGHT Members of the Class of 2015 sing their traditional song to the senior class on class night. (left to right) Katarina Smith, Heather Crosby, Maggie Dooner, Laura Dallara, Devon Stahl, Jolie Jemmott, Nile Harris
BELIZE SSP TRIP The Special Studies Program made headlines in the Central American nation of Belize on May 28 as juniors Nile Harris, Kate Wahl and Lynn Luong were interviewed on LOVE TV’s “Morning Show” for their work with a local K-8 school and The Dream Flag Project. The girls, who were among 20 AIS students on the trip, were interviewed along with a student from the Burrell Boom Methodist School.
GLOBAL SUMMIT AWARDS Rachel Hansen ’14 (left), Sabina Smith ’17 and Prianka Bedi ’14 garnered recognition for outstanding performances at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia’s Global Economic Forum in March. Smith was awarded Best Student Delegate for her country. Hansen won Outstanding Student Leader, and Bedi received Honorable Mention in the same category.
NATIONAL MERIT RECOGNITION Thirteen AIS seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Foundation this fall for their academic achievements. Back: Mia Ciallela, Katya Smith, Lansing Zhang, Vaughn Hillman, Laura Dallara (National Merit Commended) Middle: Rachel Rudnicki, Mercy O’Malley, Caitlin Looby (National Merit Commended) Front: Meryem Cebeci, Brianna Gallo, Haley Brumberger (National Merit Semi-Finalists); Stephanie Williams (National Achievement Semi-Finalist) Not pictured: Bridget Pansini (National Hispanic Scholar)
6
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
Around Campus AIS UPPER SCHOOL BELS IN EAST FALLS In April, the Bel Cantos performed at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly opened 50-bed Pediatric Specialty Care facility for medically fragile children in the East Falls area of Philadelphia. Shown left to right: Margaret Dooner, Laura Dallara, Meredith Rupp, Kendall Heward, Sofia Xargay, Phe Somani, Danielle Williams, Pediatric Specialty Care CEO Michael Burns, Paige Davis, Rachel Hansen, Sophia Lindner, Vivien Hevizi, Prianka Bedi, Taylor Gavula, Dorrie Greenfield, Lynn Luong and Bel Cantos director Murray Savar.
MAIN LINE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK As a freshman, Varsity softball catcher Michala Maciolek ’17 was named Main Line Girls’ Athlete of the Week in April for her performance on the field and in school. Maciolek also plays basketball and participates in the STEM and Hives for Lives student clubs.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD Michelle Lu ’17, who has developed an exchange program called iChina for students in both the United States and China, has been honored by the Philadelphia chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners as its first-ever Young Entrepreneur of the Year. She received the award in June at the annual meeting of the organization. Michelle created a two-part business that is a summer educational exchange program for high school students and a Chinese culture and language program during the school year. She started her business after being accepted into the Young Entrepreneurs Academy.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY In May, juniors Morgan Gleeson (left), Olivia Neumann and Caroline Hill laid a moisture barrier in preparation for the concrete foundation which was poured the next day during an SSP trip to South Carolina. The group of a dozen AIS girls cut and built window and door frames, prepared foundations, put up siding, installed closet fixtures and soffits, and painted five houses.
ASPIRATIONS IN CODE Selected for her leadership ability and computing and IT aptitude, Andrea Baric ’14 garnered the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing last April from one of the nation’s leading advocacy organizations for increasing the ranks of women in technology and computing fields.
LEADERSHIP AWARD Shelby Brisbane ’15 was recognized by NBC 10 and Widener University in March with the Widener University High School Leadership Award for her abilities to effect positive change. Brisbane has served as Prism co-head for the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), tri-head of the Upper School literary and art magazine, Impulse, and as a representative on the School’s Multicultural Board and Repertory Company.
Around Campus :: www.agnesirwin.org
7
Embrace of A New Day: Community Welcomes Wendy L. Hill By Amanda Mahnke
8
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
A
s an emblem, the miniature blue ceramic
heart was unremarkable. No more than quartersize, it was easily dwarfed by the immense space of the new Agnes Irwin gymnasium — especially when held aloft between the right thumb and index finger of newly appointed Head of School Dr. Wendy L. Hill. But its simple meaning spoke volumes about the style of leadership Hill intends to bring to her role as the School’s newest leader.
Nagl and Head of The Baldwin School Sally Powell, also attended the ceremony to welcome their new colleague.
“This is a heart,” Hill told the audience gathered for her Convocation and Welcome Celebration on September 5. “I believe kindness should govern. It is first among all qualities.”
The convocation began with an invocation by Dr. Joseph T. Cox, former headmaster of The Haverford School, followed by a welcome from Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ‘77, the chair of Agnes Irwin’s Board of Trustees.
The entire student body of 700 students, along with faculty, staff and guests, filled the gymnasium to officially welcome Dr. Hill at a ceremony that included a tribute from one of the new Head’s former colleagues, the presentation of gifts by students, and warm welcomes from faculty, staff, parents and alumnae. She officially took the reins as the 13th Head on July 1.
Cox prayed for guidance for Dr. Hill: “Give her the tools to build an inclusive and friendly community, committed to open dialogue, the honest evaluation of knowledge, the creation of beautiful things, and the development of good people — women of worth who will lead their families, communities and nation.”
A nationally recognized academic and neuroscientist in higher education, Dr. Hill comes to Agnes Irwin from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., where she served as Provost and Dean of the Faculty for seven years. She was a distinguished member of the faculty for 25 years, and in 2002 was named the William C. ‘67 and Pamela Rappolt Professor of Neuroscience. Upon her departure, the college named its neuroscience lab in Dr. Hill’s honor.
Girls from each division then took the podium to present Dr. Hill with a series of gifts on behalf of the student body.
More than 50 of Dr. Hill’s former colleagues attended the ceremony, including Lafayette College President Alison Byerly and Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel Leslie F. Muhlfelder, who offered a tribute to the new Head. Leaders in the local independent school community, including The Haverford School Headmaster John
The students decided to share the book with Dr. Hill because it “reminds us that sometimes new adventures can be scary and lonely, but they are also fun and exciting, and they always teach us things we didn’t know about ourselves and the world we live in,” said fourth grader Anahla Thomas and second grader Grace Connelly.
From the Lower School, Dr. Hill received an American Girl doll — dressed in the blue and yellow uniform of the School’s young students — along with the book A Dandelion Seed, which Lower School students read together at the beginning and end of each school year.
Convocation :: www.agnesirwin.org
9
From Caroline Glaser ’19, representing the Middle School students, Dr. Hill received a framed copy of the School’s value statement. Student Body President Lindsay Turner ’15 presented Dr. Hill with a necklace, engraved with the words “Learn, Lead, Live a Legacy” — an abbreviated version of the School’s new mission statement. Turner said the engraving represents the lasting impact Agnes Irwin has on its students, faculty and alumnae. Following remarks from faculty, staff, parents and alumnae representatives, and songs presented by Agnes Irwin’s fourth grade class and the Agnes Irwin Bel Cantos, Dr. Hill’s former Lafayette College colleague Leslie F. Muhlfelder offered a tribute to Dr. Hill, calling her
“an inspired and inspiring Head of School.” “The leader and mentor you have chosen to head Agnes Irwin is an extraordinary teacher in her own right,” Muhlfelder told those gathered, noting that in 1999, Dr. Hill was chosen as the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She highlighted Dr. Hill’s extraordinary commitment to teaching and her impact on and involvement with undergraduate students. “I have been inspired by Wendy’s steadfast commitment to teaching for nearly 20 years, and I know that today your dream as teachers has been realized,” she said.
As Dr. Hill took the stage, she thanked her Lafayette colleagues, her new Agnes Irwin colleagues, and former Head of The Agnes Irwin School Dr. Mary F. Seppala. She remarked on the legacy of Agnes Irwin, a pioneering 19th century educator, and the inspiration the School’s founder has been to her. “I am certainly not Miss Agnes Irwin,” Dr. Hill began. “… but I can assure you two things are certain. First, for me, Miss Irwin’s goals and objectives are wonderfully easy to embrace — and second, I can and do pledge to work tirelessly to advance them.” Dr. Hill pledged to be bold and innovative, promising not to be afraid to be different and true to herself — to be forthright and candid, listen and speak thoughtfully, ask for help and collaborate. She shared a quote from poet and author Maya Angelou: “A person is the product of their dreams. So make sure to dream great dreams. And then try to live your dream.” “Let’s dream together,” Dr. Hill concluded, “and then, together, we’ll work hard to realize this dream.”
On stage with Hill (left to right) are Muhlfelder, Cox, Sonnenfeld, and trustees Derek Pew, Dr. Taliba Foster and Polly Warren Coxe ’77, President of Alumnae Association.
PreK student Ellaria Vecsey tries to keep her classmates on their best behavior during the program.
10
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
CONVOCATION SPEECHES
Students, Faculty and Staff, Trustees, Parents, Family, Friends, and Guests,
I am as humbled to be standing here facing all of you as I am honored to be the 13th Head of The Agnes Irwin School.
WENDY L. HILL Thank you Leslie for those kind words. One of the best rewards of my term as Provost has been our friendship. Joe — thank you. I am so pleased you were able to do the invocation and was moved by your beautiful words. Thank you for the wonderful welcomes. It means a lot to me to have the warm wishes from all parts of this great community. I’d also like to expressly thank Mary Seppala. I am indebted to you. You have been more than generous with your time, insights, and advice. Thank you. It means a great deal to me that you have all found a way to be here. I am grateful to so many of you for the warm welcome with which my family and I have been greeted. Thank you. I decided last fall to join this community. Retrospectively, I sense I was lured most by the power and clarity of mission. During recent months I’ve learned more, and the position and the School are even more attractive. The gist of it is we educate girls. More specifically, we provide an unparalleled, exemplary education for girls. We offer a caring environment and desire a joyous experience for each student, their families, and the community. That I might be able to add something to this model — well, it could not be more attractive. I hope never to be tedious, but at the risk of exhausting those who have heard it before, I beg you briefly
forebear. I would be remiss if I didn’t provide at least an abridged version of our story to our guests. I have spent a year discovering Agnes Irwin, the person and the School. The School, I am pleased to work for. The woman, who I will never meet, seems now so familiar as if standing beside me. Miss Agnes Irwin’s story is a rich biography of opinion, fortitude, and forthrightness. Perhaps it’s the 100-year distance, but I can’t seem to find anything unattractive about her character. Agnes Irwin is a remarkable role model. She was a Philadelphian by way of D.C. Her upbringing seemed to prepare her for everything. In 1869 she was asked to direct the West Penn Square Seminary for Young Ladies. If anyone thought her intent would be to usher typical, civilized programs to refine and finish young society ladies, they would be grossly mistaken. Agnes Irwin shared, with a burgeoning cohort of women educators, a demand for standards and experiences equal to, or exceeding, those of men. She believed women were entitled to and worthy of expansive academic programming, rigor, and excellence
In addition to area educators and AIS trustees who joined Dr. Hill on stage, more than 50 former Lafayette College colleagues, including Dan Weiss, now President of Haverford College, were in attendance. A half-dozen heads of area independent schools attended as well.
long before the rest of the world would acknowledge a woman’s intellect. She was bold and daring, innovative, and single-mindedly committed to girls’ education. While it is possibly too frequently quoted, no where is Agnes Irwin more elegantly and concisely characterized than by these words of AIS alumna Eleanor Stuart Childs: “Her supreme importance in our lives was not that she taught us to think, or filled us with a sense of the dignity of scholarship, or communicated to us her own biting wit; but that she gave to us — not to one of us, but to all of us — the ability to visualize events, and people, and world phases … This gift of visualization was subtly bestowed. Outlooks were expanded, unsuspected vistas were opened. She was a showman who never showed himself,
Convocation :: www.agnesirwin.org
11
who never imposed fancy upon fact; but who nevertheless led the questing mind to see such things as she desired it to see. She did not demand sincerity, or self-expression, or sympathy from her pupils. She asked but one thing — honest effort.” After 25 years of pursuing her goals and objectives — the excellent education of girls — Agnes Irwin left her school and the Main Line. Her sister Sophy would assume the role of Head of School. Agnes traveled to Massachusetts to captain the nascent Radcliffe College as its first dean. Harvard President Lebarron Briggs submitted that Radcliffe’s success was due to Agnes Irwin, while the Boston Herald proffered that “No man could have been so good and no woman better.” We are all here in her place. The Agnes Irwin School, a place where girls don’t take center stage, they are center stage. This is a special place. We like to say we know girls. This school is designed for girls only. We write, we sing, we analyze, we dance, we play; we are mathematics and languages, history and science. We teach 700 girls. Our curriculum is superlative. Our faculty is outstanding. Our staff is dedicated. We all care. We inspire and guide and prepare our students for lives of meaning and purpose. We expect our girls to graduate curious, adaptable, socially responsible, and broadly educated. We contour and tailor, tool and etch for each student according to her need. We don’t teach classes or grades or student bodies, we teach each child. Our goal is authentic success for every girl. This is truly a special place. This is not bravado. I’ll leave you to fact check. And if you want to take a moment to test my tout, simply find a student or parent or alumna and ask them how they feel. I’m confident
12
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
there are no better authorities and no greater promotion for The Agnes Irwin School.
Pinocchio: I pledge to you — I will not lie or cheat. I will be forthright and candid.
Since Miss Agnes Irwin, 11 other heads of school have followed — each as potent as the previous. I now stand here following Mary Seppala, staring out at this marvelous structure, wondering what can I do to follow her act.
Communicator: I will always listen and always try to speak thoughtfully.
I am certainly not Miss Agnes Irwin. I do not know how far from or close to her, or Sophy or Mary or Adele Sands or Anne Lennox, or Penney Moss, I am or will ever be. Thank God it is not even mine to measure, but I can assure you two things are certain: First — for me, Miss Irwin’s goals and objectives are wonderfully easy to embrace; And, second — I can and do pledge to work tirelessly to advance them. Now I’d like to specifically speak to our students, especially our youngest girls: WLH: Can anyone tell me what this is? Response: A box. WLH: Yes, but what kind of box? Response: Our leadership toolkit. Yes, that’s right, our leadership toolkit. Our leadership toolkit is the result of a collaborative project between our Center for the Advancement of Girls, the Lower School faculty and administration, and the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work. This toolkit speaks to our mission — to empower girls to learn, to lead, and to live a legacy. I’m going to use some elements of the toolkit to help me finish my remarks. Girls, this is my pledge to you: Agnes Irwin Picture: I pledge to you — I will look to Miss Agnes Irwin as a role model; I will be bold and innovative. Just like Agnes Irwin, however, I will not be afraid to be different and be true to myself.
Ball: This is a ball. [bounces it on the podium] WLH: What is a ball for? Response: The ball is for resiliency and bouncing back. That’s right the ball is for resiliency. I will make mistakes, but I pledge, with your help and assistance, just like this ball, I will always bounce back. Heart: I believe kindness should govern. It is first among all qualities. Please know that I care about each and every one of you, and that I pledge to make decisions in the best interest of you and the School. I have an additional item … [takes out a rock with large crystals] For 25 years I have kept a collection of rocks in my office — different kinds, some big, some small. Some of them have large crystals of different quality and chemical composition. Some of the crystals diffract light and when the sunlight hits those rocks just right, like prisms, a riotous dance of colors shoots out. It seems so magical. Of course, it’s not magic, it’s science. But it always makes me wonder how science, just like art and poetry, is often the stuff of dreams. Dreams are important to leading as well. Several years ago I had the privilege of spending time with the author, Maya Angelou and I leave you with this quote from her: “A person is the product of their dreams. So make sure to dream great dreams. And then try to live your dream.” Let’s dream together — and then, together, we’ll work hard to realize this dream. Thank you.
S T R E NGT H for the Road Ahead
A
lmighty God, all knowing and all loving keeper of mysteries, show yourself through the spirit of this School and Dr. Wendy Hill’s wisdom and kindness. Help us rededicate the gifts that You have given us toward service to these girls and young women. Guide us in support of Wendy’s leadership. We ask You to bless those who gather here today, families and friends, the Board of Trustees, this administration, staff, and faculty, every Agnes Irwin alumna near and far, and especially, Almighty God, bless the girls and young women entrusted to our guidance and instruction. Sustain those who teach and those who learn with the wisdom and courage to live lives of achievement and fulfillment, compassion and justice, and authentic service and leadership. Let every girl and young woman here before You be filled with the founding spirit of Agnes Irwin and give them the courage to go forward into life knowing that, like this School’s namesake, they can be and do anything they set their hearts and minds to be and to become.
Dr. Joseph P. Cox 8th Headmaster of The Haverford School
Give her the wisdom to set a sound course for her leadership. Provide her the fortitude to endure the college acceptance process year after year. Let Your grace be seen through the work of all who serve and all who learn, and let it sustain Wendy in moments of doubt; lift her when she is exhausted; and guide her as she leads this great School. Almighty God, guide Wendy and give her the tools to build an inclusive and friendly community committed to open dialogue, the honest evaluation of knowledge, the creation of beautiful things, and the development of good people — women of worth who will lead their families, communities, and nation. For all this and much more, we ask Your blessing, and we offer our abiding thankfulness for the opportunities to serve The Agnes Irwin School through our support of its new leader, Dr. Wendy Hill. Amen.
We petition You at the beginning of a new school year guided by new leadership to give Wendy the strength to meet the challenges that she will face. Give her the compassion to care for those who will need her support.
Convocation :: www.agnesirwin.org
13
So Much to
CELEBRATE Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ’77, Chair, Board of Trustees Delivering Welcome Address
Good morning Agnes Irwin girls! Good morning faculty and staff, current and former trustees. Good morning former Agnes Irwin Heads of School and distinguished guests. Thank you for joining us for this historic moment when we celebrate the beginning of Dr. Wendy Hill’s tenure as the 13th Head of The Agnes Irwin School. Thank you Dr. Cox, for the inspiring words that begin this new day! Your long-time friendship with Dr. Hill forged at Lafayette College, your 16 years as Headmaster of the Haverford School and your five-year friendship with our former Head Dr. Mary Seppala make you the thread that runs through our past and our future. We are so grateful to you for helping to make this moment possible. Thank you to the Headmistresses who have come before Dr. Hill, many of whose “Heads” (in oil paintings) now appear on the wall of fame outside Dr. Hill’s office. It is upon the work and commitment of these women that Dr. Hill will build. In that regard, we are so pleased to welcome Mary Seppala, the 12th Head of School, and Helen Marter, Interim 11th Head of School, back to campus to join in the celebration! Thank you so much Mary and Helen for accepting our invitations to return for this event. Today’s festivities have their genesis in the early months of 2013 with the formation of the Head of School Search Committee led by alumna and trustee Anita McMullin and Vice Chair of the Board Susan Burch, along with a discerning and dedicated Faculty and Staff Advisory Committee. The Search Committee began by trying to define the characteristics of the ideal next Head of our School.
14
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
We knew we were looking for • A person (perhaps of the female persuasion) with the leadership skills to take a thriving girls’ school to yet a higher level of excellence. • A person with the acuity to turn our young, blossoming Center for the Advancement of Girls into an internationally-known research center for best practices in girls’ education. • A person with the experience and vision to bring the community together to map out the route to a new future as the very best school for girls in the country. • A person who would understand our community and our traditions and embrace them, yet strive for continued advancement in academics, in the arts, in athletics, in community and in inclusion. • And don’t ever forget development! So in early 2014, we were thrilled when Wendy accepted the job because we are here now with a Head of School who we know fulfills our wishlist and so much more.
We have so much to celebrate today. • Wendy, we celebrate your experience as a published scientist and awardwinning teacher. We know this will help you support and propel forward our commitment to instill in our girls the love of science, technology, engineering and math — without losing sight, of course, of literature, the arts, language, classics, history and music.
• We celebrate that you join our community both as Head of School and, with Tom, as parents of Maisie, a new Agnes Irwin girl, living the dream, as we say. Seeing the Agnes Irwin experience first hand! — we trust Dr. Nagl will give you some pointers in this department!
And what do we give you, Dr. Hill? • We give you time — time to breathe and observe and learn. Time to remember some names (oh, and how to spell them). Time to get settled in a new house and town after 25 years in one other place. Time to observe AIS traditions. Time to figure out quirks and ambiguities. Maybe not too much free time, however … • We give you joy — cheering at the athletic games, watching plays, watching robots, holding your ears at the Holiday Assembly, eating with your hands at Medieval Night, clapping for the May Fair dances, marveling at Dance Motion; attending (80?) Senior Assemblies; watching the Invention Convention; spending your pennies at the Wax Museum; screaming at the top of your lungs at AIS/EA Day and crying as you listen to the Bel Cantos. It is a big job, but someone has to do it! • We give you support — from every quarter — from all the Agnes Irwin
girls in this room, from the Board of Trustees, from the faculty, from Parents’ Council, department chairs, administration team, transition team, the security staff, the maintenance staff, the Former Heads of School, the (disbanded in fact but not in spirit) Head of School Search Committee, and from our two alumnae organizations — the National Alumnae Advisory Council and the Alumnae Association — and of course from yours truly. All the support a woman could ask, we hope. • Finally, we give you flowers — behold this modest bowl of bulbs, symbolic of hundreds of others that will sprout blue and yellow spring flowers (at least we trust they will sprout and we hope they will be blue and yellow!) — daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and many others. Each and every girl in this room will join together to plant bulbs in several commemorative gardens around our campus to memorialize your new beginning and our collective new beginning. Just as every Agnes Irwin girl begins as a small bundle of potential, with the seeds of future creation, knowledge and exploration, these bulbs hold the seeds of the flowers we trust they will become next spring.
Looking on during Hill’s remarks are Charesse Ford, Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs; Dr. Tom Weissert, Director of Technology; Connie McEvoy, Director of College Counseling; Lea Emery, Director of Enrollment Management and Mariandl Hufford, Director for Academic Affairs and the Center for the Advancement of Girls (CAG).
• We celebrate your experience as a leader of the faculty at Lafayette College. We know this will provide a solid foundation for nurturing and inspiring our faculty and staff to even greater success with our girls inside and outside the classroom; • We celebrate your experience in working through accreditation, campus climate study and strategic planning — experience that will inform similar endeavors here over the next few years; and last but not least. Convocation :: www.agnesirwin.org
15
Lindsay Turner, and I am honored to serve as the 2014–2015 Student Body President. My name is
I
AM SO THRILLED to be involved in this celebration of the AIS community. At Agnes Irwin, there is always something to look forward to, especially at the beginning of each new year. Clearly, one of the greatest prospects of this year is welcoming Dr. Hill as our new Head of School. I know that our community will welcome Dr. Hill with the warmth and excitement that represents us all so well. On behalf of the Upper School, I will be presenting Dr. Hill with a gift. Our gift to Dr. Hill is a necklace that
has engraved upon it an abbreviated version of our school’s new mission statement; learn, lead, live a legacy. The mission statement was chosen for the necklace because it represents the ideals and expectations every member of the AIS community strives to live by. Furthermore, the engraving of the mission statement upon the necklace represents how the School’s effect on its students, faculty, alumnae, and parents remains engraved upon all of us. I know it is definite that Dr. Hill will experience the engraving of these values as well. Additionally, we
hope that Dr. Hill will also shape us profoundly with the unique and fresh perspective she brings to the School. Dr. Hill, I present this necklace to you with full confidence that you will not only meet the ideals of our mission statement, but also exceed them. I hope that you will wear this necklace with the proud knowledge that you have become an Irwin’s girl for life. Thank you so much for being here today and it is with the utmost pleasure that the Upper School and I give this necklace to you. Lindsay Turner presents Hill with a gift from Upper School students, a necklace with words from the new mission statement: “learn, lead, live a legacy.”
16
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
Oh, What a
DESTINATION! Kevin McCullough, Director of Finance and Facilities Representing the Administration Hello Dr. Hill, welcome to your new address — the corner of Ithan Avenue and Conestoga Road — the intersection of today’s promise and tomorrow’s possibility. Your new zip is 19010, and oh what a destination you will discover here. Recognized as an exceptional educational village by our Radnor Township Commissioners a decade ago when we presented our plans for 40,000 square feet of enhancements to our Arts and Science Center and Lower School, we are today stronger still as we gather in this fabulous Athletic and Student Life Center that has added 80,000 square feet of dynamic, vibrant physical reality to our
educational village. We are AIS — Agnes Irwin Strong! Today, I welcome Dr. Wendy Hill on behalf of the many accomplished academic and business professionals in our village — our educational gatekeepers, division directors and department leaders who every day promote myriad aspects of successful community life: commencing at our threshold with student admissions; advancing toward remarkable learning and leading outcomes in every athletic and academic arena; and securing successful financial outcomes and fundraising goals for all our community initiatives.
We will herald this grand news — our welcome to you, Dr. Hill, our new Head — and look to our marketing masters and technology wizards to send our celebration of your arrival to our contemporaries, to the cloud and beyond. Dr. Hill, walk ahead and challenge us with all the potential new beginnings present, stand beside us and nurture our commitment to living the legacy of AIS, and know that without reservation or hesitation we have your back!
Convocation :: www.agnesirwin.org
17
SHARING
Unforgettable Experiences Good morning, Dr. Hill, Board of Trustees, parents, families, friends, alumnae, and students! It is a privilege to welcome you on behalf of our faculty who are today, proud and delighted to call you our Head of School and colleague. Many of us have heard the song “Getting To Know You” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical The King And I. You may recall the song actually begins with a spoken introduction by Anna, a teacher, who explains, “It’s a very ancient saying, But a true and honest thought, That if you become a teacher, By your pupils you’ll be taught.” Indeed! And having taught within every division of Agnes Irwin, our students have illuminated my teaching and refined my skills. Their enthusiasm and creativity give me pause, make me laugh, and help me grow. However, I would add that our education as teachers is advanced by a
slightly older, more seasoned crowd: our fellow educators. When I came to Agnes Irwin 38 years ago — a 21-year-old recent college graduate with my portfolio of wizbang lesson plans under my arm — I felt fully primed to fire up my Middle School music students. Even my more advanced hairline was up to the challenge. However, as genuinely inspired as I was, my true education as a teacher began in September 1977 and continues, vigorously, today. I continue to be mentored by this distinguished group of scientists, artists, athletes, historians, writers and pioneers. With our students, we share unforgettable experiences, many profound and truly, life-changing. Weeks after 9/11, my students sang for firefighters and relief workers at St. Paul’s Chapel near Ground Zero. We have collaborated with the talents of numerous schools throughout the region, performing the exquisite Mozart’s Requiem and Bernstein’s
Murray Savar, Music Department Coordinator Representing Faculty and Staff Chichester Psalms to name just a few. We sang the National Anthem at a Phillies game, initiated flashmob a cappella singing in Center City, and joined the Philadelphia Boys and Girls Choirs on the Kimmel Stage for International Peace Day last September. Our younger girls deliver holiday joy, serenading senior citizens at residential communities and students with special needs at Melmark and Elwyn. It is impossible to quantify just how enriching, how potent, these events have been in the life of our students and, gratefully, in my life as well. It is precisely these experiences that our faculty and school present young women, empowering them to learn and to lead with passion — as is our mission — and we welcome you, Dr. Hill, with gratitude and fellowship, as you embrace and enrich this proud legacy.
“ It’s a very ancient saying, But a true and honest thought, That if you become a teacher, By your pupils you’ll be taught.” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical “The King and I.” Savar accompanies the fourth grade as they sing for an audience of more than 1,000 students, faculty, staff, alumnae and guests.
18
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
A Simply MAGICAL Place Ginny Sharp Williams ’88, President, Parents’ Council Representing the Parent Body We welcome Dr. Wendy Hill to our community. This is truly an exciting time at Agnes Irwin because, for the first time ever in our school’s 146-year history, we have a woman occupying the Head of School’s office who is also the parent of a current student. The Parents’ Council would like to extend a special welcome to the entire Hill/ Jackson family. Last November when many of us had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Hill in a parent coffee, she posed a question to us about what brought us as parents to Agnes Irwin. One of the responses she received was simply, “… it is a magical place.” Certainly this place is rife with wonderful experiences and events, but magic in the literal sense — not really. As recently as last week, I sat in a meeting where parents were asked to explain why they chose Agnes Irwin for their daughters. The word magic came up within the first 10 minutes and all parents in the room immediately nodded in agreement. Wendy was,
yet again, struck by this word and wondered aloud if she was to receive a magic wand with her new office. Agnes Irwin is a school rich in history, challenging in its academics, competitive in its athletics, creative and well known for its arts programs and purposeful about its service to the larger community. However, we are very lucky to be surrounded by a number of schools that would be willing to claim all of that as well. What sets Agnes Irwin apart is something more. Although you cannot see, hear or touch that something extra that differentiates us, you can feel it the minute you arrive. That feeling grows as long as you are here and even after you have moved on from this campus whether as an alumna or a past parent. I have heard it referred to as the ‘hidden curriculum’ or the ‘spirit of Agnes Irwin’ — but whatever you call it, at times it does seem to invisibly permeate all aspects of life here at the School.
As a parent there are many reasons we choose this incredible institution for our daughters. Ultimately the transformation in our girls from their Lower School years into the confident, young women they become as they leave this campus is the true magic of this place. We hope that you, Wendy as Head of School and with Tom together as parents of an Agnes Irwin girl, come to understand what it is about this School that has drawn the rest of us here. On behalf of the over one thousand parents represented by the Agnes Irwin School Parents’ Council, we wholeheartedly welcome you to our community. With these gifts I present to you, may you wear the jacket and scarf with pride and school spirit and with this brand new wand, we hope that you too will come to appreciate the magic of this incredible institution in a deep and meaningful way.
Williams delivers a speech and embrace, giving Hill an AIS jacket and scarf, and a “wand” as a reminder of “the magic of this incredible institution.”
Convocation :: www.agnesirwin.org
19
K E E P S A K E S of OLD Polly Warren Coxe ’77, President, Alumnae Board Representing the Alumnae Association Dr. Hill, on behalf of the Alumnae Board, the Alumnae Association and each of our 4,000 alumnae, welcome.
On behalf of the Alumnae Association, I am pleased to present you with two tokens to hang in your office:
Agnes Irwin alumnae revel in three things:
• A tuition bill from 1880 — when the School was just 11 years old — that was signed by our founder and first Head of School, Miss Agnes Irwin. The $15.00 tuition was for half a year.
• The first is the education we received. Inquisitiveness and love of learning are deeply ingrained in each of us. • The second is the quiet self-confidence that was instilled in us by our teachers and coaches. An Agnes Irwin graduate is poised to pursue whatever academic, professional or personal venture she wants. • The third is the enduring friendships we forged while here. As Euripides said, “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” Those three gifts, and indeed they are gifts, have two things at their core: mutual respect and admiration. Dr. Hill, I am confident you will quickly make your mark on The Agnes Irwin School. The respect and admiration you have already shown for the School and the students will be given back to you tenfold.
Coxe presents Hill with a framed photo of the Class of 1889, along with a 1880 tuition bill and a 1910 letter of admission.
20
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
and • A letter of admission from 1910 — 41 years into the School’s long history — that was signed by Miss Sophy Dallas Irwin, the sister of Agnes Irwin and the second Head of School.
“These tokens represent our past. We look forward to embracing the future with you.”
UNLOCKING Doors and Minds This is a beautiful sight! From where I stand, it is a sight of opportunity, a sight of promise, a vision of our future. It is a privilege to have this opportunity to share a few thoughts with you this morning. Two years ago in the fall of 2012, when Wendy Hill greeted the faculty of Lafayette College on the occasion of the opening of classes, she authored and shared these inspiring words: “Today is the eve of the 50th anniversary of, I’m sure we can all agree, one of our nation’s signal events, and candidly I believe it would have been negligent not to speak of it.” She noted that on August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to deliver a most extraordinary speech, orating loudly the anaphoral refrain, “ I have a dream.” She observed that “that speech changed, for each of us, the world in which we live.” The unfolding of educational opportunity for all in our nation’s history, Wendy reminded us, was slow, but by the 1960s, educational access had begun to change just as the country began to change. She observed, by then “we had already begun to unlock our doors as well as our minds.” She closed her remarks on that August day with the following words: “... I am convinced that we are a greater place today than we were yesterday. But to echo Dr. King, ‘we are not satisfied.’ I assure you that [we] will work to be an even better place tomorrow.” In the nearly 20 years that I have had the privilege to work alongside Dr. Hill, I have watched her open doors and enlighten minds. She did so at Lafayette, and she will do so at Agnes Irwin.
Leslie F. Muhlfelder, General Counsel, Lafayette College Delivering Introduction of Wendy Hill
Martin Luther King had a dream. He recognized that education is the key to opportunity and equality. The words that Dr. Hill chose to share with the faculty that day give you the measure of this educator who is becoming your new Head of School. This moment in Agnes Irwin’s history, this choice your community has made, this milestone in the lives of every fortunate Agnes Irwin student assembled here today, is a moment of opportunity. To the teachers and administrators, I imagine that you dreamed, when you chose the career path of educating America’s youth, that you would have leaders and mentors who would inspire you, share and enable your vision of making a meaningful, powerful difference in the young lives you touch. I have been inspired by Wendy’s steadfast commitment to teaching for 20 years, and I know that today, your dream has been realized. To the parents gathered here, I imagine that when you first looked into your daughter’s eyes, you wished for her that she would have every opportunity to realize her full potential and to make a meaningful contribution to the advancement and betterment of the world... that in some impactful way, she would find a way in which to leave our community better than she found it. You may have imagined that your daughter would be taught by teachers under the guidance and leadership of an inspired and inspiring Head of School. You may have imagined that your daughter’s teachers would feel supported and challenged to be the kind of teachers who change lives. I can say with the greatest confidence, that with the appointment of Wendy Hill, your dream has been fulfilled.
And to each student gathered in this assembly, this coming together of your community, we know for sure that you, too, have dreams. Some you have already dreamed and some you have not yet envisioned … but today marks an important day in each of your lives. With the inauguration of Dr. Hill as your teacher, your leader, and your mentor, your dreams have no limit. Over the doors to the entrance of my own junior high school, the following well known words were inscribed: “Enter to learn. Knowledge is power. Go forth to serve.” I found those words inspirational then, and I find them inspirational today. As you continue your education under Dr. Hill’s leadership, remember those words: Enter these doors each day to learn, knowledge will give you the power to make a difference, and use that power wisely to serve others. Now is your moment, Agnes Irwin students, to dream big. Together with Dr. Hill, dream big. And now, it is my pleasure, to introduce to you your new teacher, your new mentor, and your new Head of School, Dr. Wendy Hill.
Convocation :: www.agnesirwin.org
21
Exponential Fun Fifth Grade Math Night reinforces class lessons By Amanda Mahnke
“The whole ‘girls don’t like math’ thing just doesn’t hold true here at Agnes Irwin,” Middle School math teacher Dawn Anthony cheerfully attests. Taking a look around the room at the annual Fifth Grade Math Night, that’s clearly the case. Students and parents are gathered around tables in the Student Life Center, laughing and cheering as they roll dice, work to solve multiplication problems, and put their math skills to use. “It’s a pretty high-energy night,” Anthony says over the din. At one table, two girls sit with their mothers, hunched over a blue paper with the numbers 1–16 typed on it. “Six times two is 12…” one mom muses. “Minus seven is five…” “Plus three is eight,” her daughter Chelsea Seegars chimes in, crossing the number eight off her game board with gusto. “This game uses a lot of addition,” explains Charlotte Scott, seated with her mom at the same table. “It really helps to warm up your brain.” For the past five years, Agnes Irwin has hosted Math Night during the fall months for fifth grade students and their parents. Inspired by a math conference, Anthony and fellow math teacher Ellena Vaganos created Math Night to serve a few purposes: It’s a way to reinforce class lessons in a fun environment, and it also provides an
22
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
opportunity for teachers to chat with parents outside of Parents Night. “It’s a chance to turn off electronics and simply enjoy spending time together in a context that might be a little different from the norm,” Anthony explained. “We created Math Night, in part, to be a family activity.” The evening is fast-paced: Each child-parent pair is assigned to one of 15 tables, where they spend about seven minutes playing a math-related game before rotating onto the next Ella Connors and her mother share a laugh at Math Night.
activity. Vaganos, Anthony, fellow math teacher Joy Connelly and Middle School Director Lynne Myavec are on-hand to answer questions, gauge progress and offer suggestions as they wander from table to table. Some of the games are entirely new for students, while others have been played in class. Students also get to take home their own copy of each game, and are encouraged to play them with family at a later date. “It’s nice for the kids to be the ‘experts’ for mom or dad,” Anthony said. Different games have different goals. A few of the games are merely meant to encourage memorization of multiplication tables, while others may be teaching some higher-level concepts. In Knockout, one of the more popular games, players must create a series of mathematical expressions using the Order of Operations. Another activity, the Product Game, emphasizes
Olivia Heldring and her father work to remember multiplication tables.
taking risks, Vaganos explained. The game necessitates that players take an offensive or defensive strategy — and while the bigger rewards come with playing offensively, the losses are equally large. “Sometimes the risks pay off, and sometimes they don’t — but that doesn’t mean you never take one.” The goal is to get girls thinking about math in a different way, and get a little outside of their comfort zone. “Did you know you can use exponents too?” Connelly interjects at one table. “Oh, great!” a student replies. “So 2^3 is 8…” (Translation: 2x2x2=8) “We’re strengthening their ability to think about numbers in all kinds of ways,” Anthony said. “It helps teach them that there are lots of different avenues in mathematics to get to the answers. There isn’t just one solution; and the more they learn, the more they see that’s true.” “It’s about expanding their minds and changing the way they think about math — without them even thinking about it,” Vaganos added. It seems clear from the enthusiasm at Math Night that their strategy is working. “Math Night is awesome. It’s a really good opportunity to do something with your parent that you might not usually do, with all your friends and your parents and your school, that is very good for you and fun,” Charlotte says matter-of-factly, while trying to sort out a sum. “It’s good to do something other than our traditional evening time activities for once,” Charlotte’s mom added. “It’s nice to have an alternative
that’s educational for all of us.” “Yes, and — ooh! I really like the next game,” Chelsea said, grinning as she looks over to the next table. “... When I play it, I sort of forget that I’m actually learning something.”
Mia Skyman, Ava Sim and parents check the score as Ava starts to roll the dice.
“It’s about expanding their minds and changing the way they think about math — without them even thinking about it.”
Middle School :: www.agnesirwin.org
23
Five Years Strong: Akilah Club Continues to Raise Awareness By Amanda Mahnke
T
wo decades have passed since the horrific genocide in the Central East African nation of Rwanda, but its consequences live on. Much of Rwanda is still in poverty, and Rwandan women continue to lag behind men when it comes to getting an education. One group of girls at Agnes Irwin, in their own way, is working to change that. 2014 marks five years since the founding of the Agnes Irwin Akilah Club, a student-led group that supports the Akilah Institute, a women’s college based in Rwanda. On its campuses in Rwanda and Burundi, the Akilah Institute provides English language education and hands-on training for women in the fields of hospitality, information services and
entrepreneurship — some of the fastest growing employment sectors in those nations. Across the Atlantic at Agnes Irwin, the Akilah Club works to raise awareness of the ongoing consequences of the Rwandan genocide, form friendships with Akilah students, and fundraise for the college. “Everyone needs help at some point in their life,” said junior Katherine Pew, one of this year’s Akilah Club leaders. “Rwanda went through a tough time, and now it’s our time to help out.” Pew is in a unique position to speak about Akilah, as it was her sister who founded the club after a family trip to the Akilah Institute in 2010. The Pews were so impressed with the School’s dedication to empowering women photo by Charlotte Buck
Students participate in a Foundations Leadership Class at the Akilah Institute’s Kigali campus. Charlotte Buck said of her trip, “We sat in and watched while the girls answered questions with confidence about what it takes to be a good team leader, and we later went outside to do a teamwork activity together.”
24
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
through education that upon returning to the United States, Katherine’s sister Alexandra, then an Agnes Irwin sophomore, wanted to do something more. Alex founded the Akilah Club with classmate Nora Buck, and the club has been growing ever since. Now, Alex and Nora have passed the torch to their younger sisters: Katherine leads the club with classmate Arden Berlinger and one of Nora’s sisters, Charlotte Buck, a senior. The Akilah Club meets every “D” Day, and its focus this year is educating students about the Rwandan genocide and the continual plight of women in East Africa, as well as serving as pen pals to girls at the Institute. The pen pal system, conducted via email, serves a dual purpose: It’s a way for Agnes Irwin students to learn about the lives of girls in Rwanda, and also helps Akilah students in developing their English language and computer skills. The club also organizes several fundraises for Akilah each year, including the annual Hoopla studentfaculty basketball game, held in the winter. “We’re really working to create connections between club members and students there — to show how similar we are, despite how different our experiences have been,” explained Buck, who visited Akilah’s campus in Kigali this past summer with about 30 other Akilah supporters. “You can’t really understand what Akilah does, and what they deal with, and how they do it so well, until you see it firsthand,” she said. “The number of resources they have now is so much
Nadine Niyitegeka, an alumna from the Akilah Institute for Women in Rwanda, visited campus in September to speak with students and share her story. Pictured, from left: Arden Berlinger, Katherine Pew, Niyitegeka, Charlotte Buck, Akilah development associate Merrin Jenkins.
greater than what they started with five years ago — how far they’ve come is astounding.” One of the most difficult aspects of leading the club, Pew said, is bringing that feeling home to Agnes Irwin. “It’s tough to relay to other students the feelings and emotions you get while there — because they haven’t seen it,” she explained. It’s for that purpose that another main focus of this year’s club is educating students on Rwanda’s history, including the 1994 genocide. To that end, the club showed the film Hotel Rwanda to students last year and engaged in other educational activities. Agnes Irwin students also have the opportunity to learn from those who have experienced it firsthand. In partnership with the Akilah Club, current students and graduates of the Akilah Institute have visited Agnes Irwin every year since the club’s inception. This past September, the Upper School welcomed Nadine Niyitegeka, an Akilah alumna and genocide survivor, who shared her story in an Upper School assembly, visited classes, and participated in a Q&A session with students, facilitated by the Akilah Club. Nearly one million Rwandans, mainly of the country’s Tutsi minority,
were killed in the 1994 genocide; Niyitegeka was almost one of them. While seeking refuge in a Catholic church, the then two-year-old was nearly caught in the blast when someone threw a grenade into the church. Astonishingly, she and her family survived. Niyitegeka grew up in poverty, and like 68 percent of Akilah graduates, was the first in her family to attend college. Now an alumna working for her alma mater as a communications associate, she supports her family on the salary she makes. “My three years at Akilah were life-changing,” Niyitegeka told Upper School students in assembly. “For the first time, I was in an environment where my teachers were telling me my ideas and opinions were important. I
was encouraged to speak my mind.” Many representatives of the Akilah Institute, both alumnae and current students, have visited Agnes Irwin in the past five years. Two current Akilah students will visit this coming spring. “To see how thankful they are for all the work we’ve done, the awareness we’ve spread — it’s amazing,” Buck said. “I don’t know how else to describe it.” In her speech to students, Niyitegeka thanked the school, and the Akilah Club in particular, for its support. “We are lucky to have such wonderful partners.”
“It’s tough to relay to other students the feelings and emotions you get while there — because they haven’t seen it.”
Upper School :: www.agnesirwin.org
25
Revising the Agnes Irwin
Mission Statement By Kristen Schinella
In September 2013, at the request of Dr. Mary F. Seppala, then Head of School, the Board of Trustees began the process of reviewing the Agnes Irwin mission statement. Every 10 years, all independent schools go through an accreditation process and receive recommendations from a panel of reviewers. One of the recommendations was to learn whether or not the AIS mission statement was being used and remembered by the community. With fellow trustee Anita McMullin ’81 and me taking the lead, our first step was to consider generally what the purpose of a mission statement is and specifically, did our current statement fulfill this purpose? In essence, a mission statement is meant to guide an organization and to create a foundation of shared understanding for any organization. As Miss Agnes Irwin herself said many years ago: “I am devoted to the running of the race … not the race in which all run and only one obtains the prize, but the race in which the runners pass from hand to hand the lamp of life that it may never cease to burn.” The mission statement of The Agnes Irwin School is part of what keeps that lamp of life burning, what guides us daily and what is passed on, from one generation to the next. It is important to note that while the core essence of the School’s mission remains the same, grounded in values we firmly believe in, we seized the opportunity to refine and refresh the actual statement itself, in order to improve recall and to help reinforce what makes an Agnes Irwin education unique. The second step was to bring people together. A core team was assembled to include all constituencies — those who know Irwins from different historical vantage points and various internal perspectives — alumnae, faculty, students, administration, board members and
parents. Many larger groups took surveys and some spent Saturday mornings being part of a focus group. The information we received from the surveys and focus groups overwhelmingly revealed the following: while the then mission statement represented who we are, it was too long, it was not memorable nor was it emotionally evocative. Taking this feedback while keeping in mind the purpose of a mission statement, we began the process of reframing our mission statement. It was clear that we needed to create something that was meaningful, powerful, and memorable. Throughout the year, the core team worked together to brainstorm, analyze our internal findings, review external sources, and finally begin the drafting process. The core group met many times as a whole and also broke into smaller work groups during the drafting phase. We owe special thanks and recognition to Christine Kuhinka ’81, an expert in strategic and corporate communication. Although Christine generally works with Fortune 100 corporations, she enthusiastically and tirelessly worked and reworked our mission statement drafts. We all owe her tremendous gratitude for sharing her time and talents with us. In May 2014, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to accept the new mission statement: The Agnes Irwin School empowers girls to learn, to lead, and to live a legacy. We believe that our founder, Agnes Irwin, would be pleased with this statement, as it becomes part of the lamp of light that we carry forth and hand down to generations to come.
The Agnes Irwin School
empowers girls to learn,
to lead, and to live a legacy.
26
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
Schinella has been a member of the AIS Board of Trustees since 2010, and co-chairs the Board’s Strategic Planning/ Enrollment Committee.
“I AM A GIRL”
AIS STUDENTS RECEIVE AWARDS FROM WOMEN’S WAY BY WANDA ODOM
T
he girls in the photos are nothing alike. One is swinging with perfect extension. Another stands tall, peeking through her fingers. The third hits the air on a snowboard trip down the slopes. But they all reflect someone’s idea of what it means to be a girl. In the first-ever “I Am a Girl” photography contest organized by Women’s Way, an advocacy organization that supports equity and justice for women and girls, and the Center for the Advancement of Girls, several students from Philadelphia area public and private schools won recognition for their entries. Among them were three Agnes Irwin students, all of whom were honored at the Women’s Way Powerful Voice Awards on May 8. Seventh grader Annika Edwards, junior Lisa Fendrick and senior Ryshena Providence won in two of the three age categories in the juried contest, 13–14 and 15–18. Inspired by the NYC Girls Project, the “I Am A Girl” photo contest featured a series of photographs of real-life girls
with surrounding text that illustrated positive qualities girls see in themselves. In Edwards’ case, her photo depicted a determined young girl with glasses on the baseball mound, swinging — as she writes in the required overlaid text — “for the fences!” “We wanted to have girls reclaim the narrative of what it means to be a girl — away from the impossible standards of femininity and beauty,” said Mariandl Hufford, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Girls. “We wanted the girls to define themselves in their own right: as powerful, funny, athletic, artistic, intellectual. The images speak for themselves … all of our girls claimed strength and power. They are, as are all girls, unstoppable, given half the chance.” All contest winners’ photos were displayed on the Women’s Way website and social media pages. “I chose the phrase ‘I will not back down,’”
said Providence, “because I feel way too often, women and girls whom are powerful in their actions and strong in their mindset are frowned upon. I hope these pictures and quotes will not only inspire, but also empower others to realize that they have a voice and if someone tries to put you down, respectfully stand up to them, and don’t back down for what you believe in.” Contest winners were honored at the Powerful Voice Awards dinner, a signature event at Women’s Way that draws more than 1,200 influential supporters from across the Philadelphia region.
Winning entry by Lisa Fendrick
Winning entry by Annika Edwards Winning entry by Ryshena Providence
CAG :: www.agnesirwin.org
27
: D E I L L A I S A r i n g Pr o g r am A
Ne w Me n t o ol o h c S r e p p U K ic k s O f f i n
T THE FRONT OF THE ROOM,
the speaker held aloft a colorfully constructed paper house — orange foundation with light blue façade, framed by hot pink walls, punctuated with green window and door, and topped off with a bright yellow roof. On these building blocks are written words and phrases like family & friends, social justice, values, relationships, commitment and optimism. The girls in the room were instructed to build their own construction-paper houses, and to assign to the structural elements those people, places and things that help to sustain and shelter them day in and day out. Such were the opening exercises of AIS Allied, a newly launched mentoring program in the Upper School at Agnes Irwin. Life provides a unique series of rewards and challenges, and for teen girls in particular, the engagement with and the support of peer groups plays a critical role. Designed by the staff of the Center for the Advancement of Girls (CAG), AIS Allied was created to give girls a safe forum in which to explore a range of topics in a group setting, facilitated and mentored by exemplary women, including AIS alumnae. The group, or cohort, provides opportunities for girls to connect across grades and learn, through the guidance of adult “Allies,” how similar and, also, how unique their experiences are as they navigate Upper School. Topics up for discussion include academic and social pressures, identity issues, and career exploration. Each cohort consists of six to eight students guided by two Allies each. These Allies are successful women who are trained to engage in candid discussions about life as a teen girl. In this first pilot year, the program was kept deliberately small — with two cohort groups and four Allies who meet monthly. Both Allies and the girls in the program went through a rigorous application process in order to participate; in ensuring the commitment of all participants, the program coordinators knew they would also ensure its success. AIS Allied has been a program several years in the making. Thanks to generous funding provided by the Huston Foundation, CAG was able to secure the help of Christina Jordan, a graduate assistant from Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Jordan worked alongside CAG Program Coordinator Alison Brant to design and execute the initiative. The two women
28
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
A JORDAN BY CHRISTIN AHNKE & AMANDA M
researched many other models and ideas in order to come up with a program that would best fit the girls at AIS. The Huston Foundation’s funding has also allowed for the purchase of materials and the creation of a training manual for Allies. An important part of the process was that AIS Allied was developed in collaboration with students at Agnes Irwin. Upper School girls played an integral role in shaping the goals and format of the program by providing all types of ideas and feedback. Jaakirah Reid ’16, who is the student liaison for the program, was integral in assessing what students hoped to gain from the program and designing it in such a way that girls would most benefit from it. Other stakeholders and experts were also consulted on different aspects of mentoring programs, such as issues surrounding diversity and inclusion, facilitator training, and stages of adolescent development. The program was launched in August with a retreat, in which the cohorts got to know each other, participate in some team building activities, and begin building
relationships. During the retreat, the cohorts also discussed and agreed upon their own ways of keeping in touch and continuing the conversation between meetings. Four Allies joined the team this year, including Erinn Corbett-Wright ’10, who said she has been looking for a way to give back to her alma mater, and AIS Allied was a perfect fit. Other Allies include Molly Scudder ’02, attorney Rachel Krol and University of Pennsylvania doctoral candidate Charlotte Jacobs. Both Krol and Jacobs were identified as exceptional young women who would contribute positively to the lives of AIS girls. “There are so many things I wish I could have spoken to someone about when I was a student,” Corbett-Wright said. “I hope I can be that person for
current students. Being able to impart that wisdom is so, so valuable.” At the group’s first meeting in September, students and mentors introduced themselves, participated in team-building activities and set the ground rules for the rest of the year. Paige Frankel and Caroline Hill, both seniors at AIS, said they were looking forward to the program as a means to help mentor freshmen. The friends both participated in Speak Up!, an event held in conjunction with The Haverford School and The Baldwin School that encouraged conversations between students and parents about topics such as mental health, relationships and stress. “The program was really helpful for us — and especially for parents,” Frankel said. “But AIS Allied is just kids — no parents — so it will really give everyone an equal playing field to speak, without fear of judgment.”
The two girls are hoping to provide guidance and advice for younger students, knowing that it can make a world of difference in a student’s school experience. “When I was a freshman, I didn’t have a support group like this, so I’m glad to be able to provide that,” Hill said. “We want to be there to help girls who are just figuring it out.” The goal of CAG is to create the most advantageous environment for girls through research, program development and advocacy, and AIS Allied furthers that mission. “CAG has four pillars that are critical to the development of girls,” Hufford explained. “AIS Allied falls under the Wellness pillar. We hope that through the program, our students will find tools to create lives that are fulfilling and balanced — and that girls will gain skills that they can apply in the leadership realm.” Jordan is a graduate assistant for the Center for the Advancement of Girls.
CAG :: www.agnesirwin.org
29
ARTS AT AIS
CREATING F OUNDATIONS new Middle School ar ts curriculum draws on a variety of mediums By Amanda Mahnke
Seated on stools, bedecked in paint-splattered canvas smocks, the seventh graders in Keri Farrow’s studio arts class are chattering away as they paint mixed-media sculptures with vibrant pinks, blues and greens. They won’t be here for long, though: In a few weeks, they’ll move onto a clay and drawing class with Theresa Frock, working to craft vessels that will form part of the Empty Bowls project. And after winter break, they’ll move onto printmaking with Kathy Halton — where they’ll design their own screen-printed T-shirts — and finally, to photography with Sarah Rafferty, where they’ll learn the basics of composition and technique. It’s all part of the new Foundations in Visual Arts curriculum in the Middle School. Put in place this year, the program strives to provide students with a broad range of creative experiences throughout their seventh and eighth grade years. Each quarter, students rotate to a new class — so by the end of two years, each girl will have at least one session of photography, studio arts (sculpture/drawing), ceramics, printmaking, media arts and computer-aided design. “It’s kind of a tasting menu of all the disciplines we have here,” explained ceramics teacher Theresa Frock. The idea for a rotation-based Middle School program had been floating around for a few years — but this year, the timing was right, said Middle School Director Lynne Myavec. With the addition of Frock and her ceramics expertise to the School’s Visual and Performing Arts Department, Myavec and department chair Bill Esher felt it
30
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
ARTS AT AIS
Seventh graders Colby Yoh (left) and Hadley Evans (right) help out classmate Madeline Briddell as she applies ink to her screen-printed T-shirt in Kathy Halton’s printmaking class.
Art teacher Terri Frock and eighth grader Bridget Fitzpatrick work on a sculpture. This year, eighth graders are rotating between Innovation in the Arts/Media Arts, Computer-Aided Design, Clay/Drawing and Studio Arts.
was time to get the ball rolling. “We have a lot of talented faculty here, and we thought that a rotating program would allow our teachers to better play to their strengths,” Myavec explained. “We also wanted our girls to have a chance to get to know more of our teachers.” Through the new curriculum, students experience all the arts program has to offer, including photography, which is being offered in Middle School for the first time this year. The hope is that through the rotation program, students can make informed decisions about teachers and concentrations when they reach the Upper School. “They get a chance to explore, and to determine what they’d like to investigate in a comprehensive way as they move forward,” Esher said. That exploration takes many different forms. In Halton’s class, for example, students try their hand at designing and then producing their very own screenprinted T-shirt, inspired by their individual family heritage. For many students, Frock’s class is the first chance to try their hand at a pottery wheel. “It’s a giant, crazy, muddy mess, but they have the time of their lives,” Frock laughed. There is some crossover between classes, too. Students draw and sketch in almost every class, as the skills of composition apply to a multitude of disciplines. “The outcome is that you get girls who, after two years building that foundation, are really ready to take off when they go to our Upper School,” Myavec explained. The program is only in its second quarter, so there are no outcomes yet — but students seem to be enjoying the chance to embark on an artistic adventure. Farrow’s students, pausing from their sculptures a moment to reflect on the past few months, were enthusiastic about the road ahead. “I do photography a lot outside of school, so it’s exciting to get the chance to do it this year,” said Lizzie Dixon, one of Farrow’s seventh graders. “But the whole program is a nice opportunity to get to know different teachers and get different perspectives and ideas.” Seventh grader Leann Luong shared that she was trying to keep an open mind as she moved from class to class; classmate Taylor Carter agreed. “There are probably a lot of great things I don’t even know about yet,” Taylor said. “So I’m looking forward to discovering more.”
Opposite page: Seventh grader Courtney Naylor works on a mixed media sculpture in Keri Farrow’s studio arts class.
Arts :: www.agnesirwin.org
31
AIS ATHLETICS
WHAT IT TAKES: MARIN BLOISE ’15 SETS RECORDS ON THE TRACK AND ON THE SPRINGBOARD
BY MICHELLE MARANO
MARIN BLOISE ’15 WOKE UP ONE SATURDAY MORNING LAST FEBRUARY WITH A GOOD FEELING. It was the day of the 2014 Eastern Championship swimming and diving meet at LaSalle University, and Bloise, who has been competing on the AIS Varsity diving team since seventh grade, had a strong inkling that this was her year to win first place after having placed in the top six each year for the last five Easterns. According to Agnes Irwin swimming and diving coach Emily Brennan, Bloise kept mainly to herself at the meet and listened to music between dives to stay focused. “She told me she couldn’t think about it [the potential to place first], that she had to take it one dive at a time,” said Brennan, who has seen the level of competition among independent schools rise dramatically over the years. Bloise began swimming when she was five years old, but it was not until her first club team practice at West Chester University that she would set her sights on the sport of diving permanently. “One time I saw diving at one of the meets and thought it would be something interesting to pick up,” said Bloise, who now practices six days a week; she also runs crosscountry in the fall and track in the spring for AIS. Alternating between practices for the Agnes Irwin swimming and diving team and practices at West Chester University for the West Chester Diving team, the veteran diver knows what it takes to have a successful meet. Even when the high school swimming and diving season is over, she continues to dive. “I have worked hard to improve my diving skills over the past few years,” said Bloise, sharing that she knew she had a shot at winning Easterns if she had a good meet. But the springboard is not the only place that Bloise excels; she has had an outstanding high school career in track and field, as well as cross country. She was named to the All Delco team for three years in a row for outstanding performances in the 300m hurdles. She has also been a part of school record-breaking performances in the 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays, distance medley relay, and the long jump. “Marin has been a
32
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
great leader and inspiration for her teammates,” said AIS crosscountry and track coach Mary Beth Bittles. During that February meet, the announcer read Bloise’s eighth dive as a reverse one-and-a-half dive — which is a dive performed with a forward takeoff, flipping back toward the board. Bloise, however, was expecting the announcer to read her dive as a back one-and-a-half, which is a dive performed by standing backward on the board and doing one-and-a-half back flips, or a back flip with a dive at the end. “They would not let her change the dive, so she did her reverse one-and-a-half without warming it up,” explained Brennan, describing the scene that afternoon. “I was so proud of her for keeping her head in the game and nailing her last dive. After being so close to the top for five years, she had finally won the meet.” Bloise gave Agnes Irwin its first first-place finish at Easterns, the largest independent school aquatic event in the United States, capping off a record-setting season and setting a new school record with a score of 464.85. “I feel incredibly proud of being able to not only win such an event, but also have the opportunity to stand up on the podium representing my wonderful school and have the crowd cheer for me,” said Bloise. “Being the first girl to win Eastern Championships means so much to me … it has been a goal I’ve been striving for since the moment I began high school diving.” The Varsity swimming and diving team showed its depth at the event, finishing 13th overall out of 33 schools. Of the five AIS divers competing, three made it to the finals, meaning that they competed in all eleven dives and scored points for the team, said Brennan, adding that the team succeeded by “staying focused throughout the meet, encouraging each other and keeping a positive attitude.” Divers Carter Smith ’14 and Heather Crosby ’15 finished in the top 18, coming in 11th and 18th place, respectively, and the AIS Medley Relay team — comprised of swimmers Ana Mashek ’18, Margaux Bigelow ’15, Riley Flick ’17 and Elizabeth Holmes ’15 — finished 13th overall. In addition, they broke a 25-yearold school record with a time of 1:56.49. Seventh grader Madeleine Aguirre finished 14th in the 200
AIS ATHLETICS
IM (individual medley) with a time of 2:14.56, and Flick broke her own school record in the 100 Fly with a time of 1:00.10, finishing 17th in the field. Later on in the meet, Flick set another record for AIS by finishing 15th in the 100 Free Relay with a time of 55.27. Rounding out the day’s competition was the 200 Free Relay team, consisting of swimmers Nishi Bhagat ’15, Jenna Roland ’14, Deja Lewis-Nwalipenja ’16 and Morgan Pergolini ’14, who finished in 15th place. The 400 Free Relay team, comprising Bigelow, Lewis-Nwalipenja, Pergolini and Flick, finished in 10th place with a time of 3:47.17. “I am always amazed by the maturity and presence my swimmers and divers show in what could be a very intimidating
environment,” said AIS Varsity swimming coach Becky Dohner Mackrell. “Even after 17 years of coaching swimmers at this meet, I am just as excited and nervous now for the girls to do well … whether it be a new school record, a best time, or just a gutsy swim, I am honored to have had a part in their successes.” With an undefeated season now under her diving cap, Bloise plans to continue her love of athletics in college and credits her coaches with helping her develop key tactics in order to succeed. “Being a diver has definitely helped me succeed in my other sports. It helps me with my flexibility, core strength and balance. Academically, it has helped me to manage my time wisely and get work done earlier in the day.”
Athletics :: www.agnesirwin.org
33
FACULTY PROFILE
COMMANDING the
Classroom
BY AMANDA MAHNKE
How is a unit of Marines different than a classroom of teenage girls? Well, they’re more similar than one might think, according to Dominic Galante, Middle and Upper School Classics teacher. “They both come with their own unique challenges,” Galante laughed. Galante, new this year at AIS, is also a Field Artillery Officer in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. The 29-yearold teacher, rarely seen without his USMC mug in tow, is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his master’s in Ancient History. From a young age, Galante knew he wanted to pursue ancient languages — the opportunity to read ancient texts and their academic debates firsthand was a huge draw — but as he continued his graduate studies, he became increasingly interested in military service.
34
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
FACULTY PROFILE “I thought academia was the path I wanted to take — but I also wanted the opportunity to lead and to serve in the military,” Galante explained. “The Marines are the physically and mentally toughest branch of the military, and they have a very strong set of ethics they push on all the officers and enlisted — that was very appealing to me.” So after finishing his studies, Galante took the plunge, attending the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in summer 2012. He currently serves in the Reserves. After a stint with the School District of Philadelphia, Galante accepted a position at Agnes Irwin this summer, attracted by the academically rigorous environment and passionate faculty and students. “Agnes Irwin was a great fit because it’s a place where the classics are treasured and an important part of the curriculum,” Galante said. “When I taught during my interview process, I saw how engaged the students were. Working with students of that high a caliber is an amazing privilege.” Galante, of course, hopes to instill in his students a love of the classics that he so highly values. The ancient historian Herodotus is a personal favorite. Writing in 5th century B.C., his stories about the war between Persia and Greece — which in today’s popular culture have taken form in the blockbuster movie “300,” Galante noted — weave together myth and history in a compelling way. “It’s myth meets history and anthropology — and that’s super cool,” he shared with a grin. Galante had the opportunity to see some of that history firsthand while studying abroad in Greece during graduate school. As a student, he had access to a number of sites in Greece that most people do not, including the Parthenon. The 5th century B.C. building has been used throughout the ages as a temple, a church, a mosque, and eventually, in the 17th century, a storage place for gunpowder. It was
during that period that the Venetians besieged Athens and fired on the Parthenon, blowing it up — history that is still visible in the stone. “When you get up close to the columns, you can see gigantic pockmarks from cannon balls,” Galante described. “Seeing all those levels of history — from the most ancient to the classic period, to an inscription from the Roman Emperor Nero, to the pockmarks at the end of its history — it was incredible.” Diving into ancient texts is a bit like seeing that history firsthand, Galante said. But, as with most endeavors, teaching that kind of appreciation starts with the basics: in this case, vocabulary and grammar, as well as a bit of history and geography. And even if students don’t end up gravitating toward ancient texts themselves, Classical studies have merits all their own: they are excellent tools for dissecting grammar and structure, even in the English language. “When you get down to grammar, it’s like taking apart a computer or a lawnmower. We’re taking apart components of language to see how it works — looking at pieces individually to see where they go,” Galante said.
The atmosphere in Galante’s classroom is a bit less regulated than a Marine unit — students and teacher engage in a dynamic back and forth, with students calling out answers, asking questions — but in some ways, teaching at AIS is not all that different from serving as an officer in the Marine Corps. “Even in the Marines, education is a big part of my job,” he explained. “We call it teaching at AIS, but it’s called training in the Marines. So I need to train my guys on skills, just like I need to teach my students grammar and vocabulary.” Considering the bigger picture, however, Galante also hopes to instill life skills that will aid students after they leave the classroom: teaching them to write better, analyze information more fully, and swiftly synthesize arguments. “In the Marine Corps, there’s the general ethics of setting up your subordinates for success: You want to make sure they’re adequately prepared for the challenges they’ll face,” Galante explained. “Similarly, I want to make sure my students are prepared for the challenges they’ll face — both my quizzes and tests, as well as the world outside of the classroom.”
Galante (right) is about to pull the lanyard to fire a M777A2 medium howitzer cannon, aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico during The Basic School, a six-month course for officers.
Faculty Profile :: www.agnesirwin.org
35
F aculty R eflection :
Going Beyond with STEM By Ethan Ake
This past August, I had the opportunity to participate in the SIEMENS STEM Institute, a weeklong professional development institute for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) teachers from around the nation at Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. The goal of the institute was threefold: to introduce STEM teachers to best practices in their respective fields, to create a collaborative professional network and to engage with education policymakers in the White House and the U.S. Department of Education. Perhaps the single greatest takeaway for me from the institute was an understanding that STEM is more than an eclectic collection of disciplines ranging from life science to computer science. Rather, it’s a way of thinking, particularly in terms of problem solving and critical thinking. Traditional teaching asks students to memorize formulas, theories and facts, but STEM teaching requires students to go beyond the content and make connections to authentic situations. This doesn’t mean content isn’t important; in fact, it’s the foundation of learning. STEM, however, asks both students and teachers to go beyond the content. The Institute was also an opportunity to meet educators from across the country who, despite their varied school populations, shared similar experiences with students’ needs, interests and goals. Teachers experimented with daily STEM challenges (such as the Spaghetti Tower Challenge featured with this article) and had an opportunity to see how new educational technology is helping diverse learners succeed in the classroom. Another exciting feature of the institute was the chance to meet senior policy officials from the White House and the Federal Department of Education, who not only shared some of President Obama’s goals for education, but also solicited ideas and concerns that science teachers have regarding education policy. Throughout my interactions at the Institute, I realized I am very fortunate to be here at The Agnes Irwin School with a community of learners who value collaboration and give both students and faculty the room to explore new ways of learning. Our students are among the most motivated and talented group in the country, and my goal is to translate a lot of the ideas conceived at the Institute into practice for our students. Ake teaches science in the Upper School.
36
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
Ake (second row, third from right) and the SIEMENS STEM Institute Fellows pose in front of the Albert Einstein Memorial in Washington, D.C. Ake inspects Emma Cullen’s spaghetti tower, a problem-solving challenge in which students had to create the tallest freestanding tower using dry spaghetti and tape.
Lower School Director DONNA LINDNER and Classics Department Chair DAVID MARSHALL met the challenges of an Outward Bound program for educators during eight days in North Carolina this summer. The North Carolina Outward Bound School Educators Initiative (EI) is a yearlong professional development program that gives K–12 teachers from public and private schools a first-hand understanding of experiential education methodology and how it can be used in their classrooms to build community and deliver curriculum. Following an initial wilderness expedition, participants engage in regular coaching with Outward Bound staff and EI peers, a classroom visitation/observation, and two weekend retreats — all focused on an experiential cycle of deliberate action, reflection and application.
FACULTY NEWS IN BRIEF Below: Thin Cities, porcelain, glaze, 2014
Lindner writes: “David and I were in the Pisgah Mountain Range of North Carolina, where we backpacked through the forests, expeditioning and camping. We engaged in Class 4 rock climbing of Devil’s Cellar on the way to watching the sunset from the peak of Table Top Mountain, and each of us spent a night in the woods on our own after setting up our own camps. We also spent a day rock climbing and rappelling near Table Rock Mountain, and a day on a high ropes course.” Middle and Upper School art teacher THERESA FROCK participated in the (e)merge art fair in Washington, D.C., on October 2–5, where she exhibited ceramic works as well as drawings. She also organized the fifth anniversary exhibition for the Philadelphia gallery Tiger Strikes Asteroid, where she is the co-director and press coordinator. The group exhibit, “To Tiger With Love,” ran from July 11–27 and featured past and present gallery members from Philadelphia and New York. An article written by French teacher BARBARA P. BARNETT entitled “A la Poursuite de ses passions” was published in the Gazette Violette, the journal of the American Society of French Academic Palms. Invited to submit an article by ASOFAP president Margot Steinhart about her two decades of research on France under the German occupation, Barnett emphasized the importance of following one’s passions as well as one’s mind when choosing intellectual and professional pursuits. The article focuses on several important events in her personal and professional life: living with a French family while studying at the Sorbonne, interviewing French Holocaust survivors, Christian rescuers, historians and members of the Resistance, and creating Frenchlanguage documentaries with students at Agnes Irwin.
Barbara P. Barnett with Dr. George Barnett
Above: Trefoils and Jabots, porcelain, glaze, 2014
Faculty News :: www.agnesirwin.org
37
Commencement 2014
By Wanda Odom
W
ith words of advice from one of the world’s best-known fashion icons, 68 young women entered the ranks of Agnes Irwin alumnae after Commencement on June 10, the first graduation ceremony held on the newly expanded Rosemont campus. Graduates and friends and family alike listened intently as fashion designer Tory Burch, Class of 1984, recalled her days at Agnes Irwin, toying with the dress code, avoiding detention with the help of friends, and learning from teachers that often the best lessons
come from working outside of a person’s comfort zone. “Creativity and innovation grow out of unexpected experiences, from taking the less traveled path,” said Burch, the Commencement speaker, explaining that each stop along the way in a person’s life journey is an opportunity to learn something. Burch, CEO and Designer of Tory Burch and Founder of the Tory Burch Foundation, talked of studying art history at the University of Pennsylvania, and how that led to her start in the fashion industry as an assistant to the famed designer Zorin; of how she moved to other fashion houses, working in marketing and related areas, by being daring and taking chances.
Commencement Speaker Tory Burch ’84
38
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
And she discussed the doubts she encountered when she unveiled an ambitious business plan to start her own line of clothing (fueled by a need to fill a void in her own closet), to open her first store and to parlay any success into support for women and children, particularly the entrepreneurial efforts of other women, especially those with the greatest need.
“Women have to support women, we have to have each other’s backs...that goes back to another lesson I learned here at Agnes Irwin,” Burch said to packed seating in the new gymnasium. Burch has had a long history of supporting other women entrepreneurs, especially small businesswomen. In April 2014, she was one of 11 highly successful business people to be named as Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship by President Barack Obama. The ambassadors will work closely with the Commerce Department, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses. Senior Tillie Clower delivered the student address, calling the members of the Class of 2014 her “sisters” forever and recounting the highs and not-sogreat times of their years at Agnes Irwin. “We all have contributed to making each other who we are today,” said Clower, simultaneously sniffling and laughing. “It was because of the support, the cheers, and the laughter (most importantly the laughter) that we shared.”
Student Address Good morning and welcome to the Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2014. This is how nearly all of the speeches in the past 20 years began, followed by a “My name is,” which in my case is Tillie Louise Clower. I
feel that somehow this formal and expected introduction is not quite fitting for our grade. I speak in front of all of you in our spotless new gym, wearing a spotless white dress, surrounded by all of the people I love. It’s picturesque ... But if you looked a little further into the past, you would see me sitting on my bed wearing pineapple pants, writing between the hours of 12 and 4 a.m., surrounded by the sounds of the song “Graduation” by Vitamin C. That is a prime example of what I like to call the Class of 2014‘s “Mullet Attitude”: business in the front, party in the back. We have not one, but three defining characteristics as a class which contribute to our exceptionally perfect outward impressions along with our ability to have a good time: authenticity, tradition, and solidarity.
than follow what was expected of us. From that year forward we began to merge our individual personalities into our grade’s collective identity. Every class has one, usually under a one word title. We’ve seen the “good” class, the “athletic” class, the class with the bad luck, and, yes, classes which seem to lack any title at all. Rather than limiting ourselves to a one-word description, we chose to be true to ourselves and let our actions create a broader identity. This identity was perfectly captured in an email from our wonderful class dean, Mrs. Brown. She told us, “This class, more than any we’ve seen here at
by Tillie Louise Clower AIS, is a group of real people — people who struggle at times, but who take responsibility for themselves and who don’t expect the world to be handed to them.” She wrote this email to our entire grade after overhearing that we were slightly disappointed that we never received the type of respect that requires the underclassmen to be intimidated by us. She explained that respect and fear were two entirely different things. Just because we weren’t intimidating, or feared, did not mean we weren’t respected. We saw those words in action when it came time to leave the changeover assembly. As we got into our cars, we were surprised to see the entire Upper School flooding out the doors waving and screaming at us, something that had never happened before. We didn’t see respect through the fear in their eyes; we saw it through the realization that they were sad to see us leave. (continued on next page)
Tillie Louise Clower addresses the audience
2014
has been keeping it real since 2001, when we, like every first grade class before us, were bribed by Mr. Savar with the promise of donuts and candy in order to keep our little voices singing rather than shrieking at the holiday assembly. Let me remind you that first grade was the year a certain Candace Hightower joined the ranks... I think you can all guess where I’m going with this. Never before had Agnes Irwin heard the first day of Christmas so loudly delivered until they met the Class of 2014. You know that being loud and proud is a value we hold to the utmost degree when we choose it over donuts. It was the first time of many where we chose to be loyal to our boisterous selves rather
Commencement 2014 :: www.agnesirwin.org
39
T he C lass
of 2014 is no stranger to tradition. We have had countless conversations about the outrage that is the diminishing of old Agnes Irwin traditions. To put it dramatically, we feel that we are at the end of the line when it comes to keeping up the old traditions in this new environment. The grades below us are beginning to introduce new ideas and new traditions, but our grade has always been dedicated to upholding the old. I see the Class of 2014 as the mischievous youngest child of the past generations of Irwin’s. We hold onto the old spirit of Irwin’s — the one that exists in the stories we’ve heard from alumnae, and the one that existed so prevalently when we were freshmen but as the years went on, existed less and less as new ideas were introduced and our new facilities were built. This spirit I’m talking about can be most accurately defined as: following the rules for as long as needed, until it comes time to break them. We listen to our teachers, and try to stay quiet, but when we fail to do so and encounter potential
Head of School Mary Seppala congratulates Clarissa Kuo on receiving her diploma.
40
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
punishment, we scream “run” and disperse in different directions; when we try our best to keep our grades up, but can’t quite be consistent, we make a decorated bulletin board for all of our beautiful F’s to hang in unity. When we are told we can’t have Senior Skip Day we show up at 7 a.m., block off the parking lots, and bring out the root beer kegs and fried eggs, not forgetting to be inclusive and invite out all advisors and deans so they can see all of our hard work. And yet, at the end of the year, we are greeted by our teachers — not with grimaces, but with smiles and boxes of cupcakes to thank us for being a model senior class. Because, after all, we are the youngest child of the generations of Irwin’s — we get away with just about anything because in the end, we only mean well.
As
you all can see , we have put our teachers and our parents through a lot, and yet they still have supported us, loved us and laughed with us without faltering. To our teachers, our dean team, our advisors: I would like
to apologize on behalf of the Class of 2014: Sorry we never turn the music down, sorry we nap in every empty space, sorry we don’t stop laughing at inappropriate times (Shena), sorry we ride our bikes around the halls, sorry we blow up pictures of you and make you the Wizard of Oz (Mr. Frank), sorry we haven’t apologized more, sorry that we’ll be without you next year, sorry for all the students who haven’t had teachers like you, sorry we can’t take you with us. We appreciate everything you’ve done for us more than you know; we love you, we’ll miss you, and we promise to visit you and do more things to be sorry about.
To
our parents ... Well, as my mother likes to say, “Sorry doesn’t cut it.” So instead we say thank you. Thank you for valuing our education and instilling the same values in us. Thank you for using enough miles to drive to California driving us to school, sports, rehearsals and test preps. Thank you for praising us on our straight A’s, and shaming us on our interims
home. Thank you for washing our kilts (because we never would), making us meals to satisfy the Irwin girl’s appetite, telling us that boys are stupid and sometimes girls are too, wiping our tears, cheering us on, and most of all thank you for sending us to Agnes Irwin. I know that we teenage girls tend to get a little moody, but in the grand scheme of things we realize and treasure every single thing you have done to get us to this point, and — if you ever doubted it during slammed doors and screamed profanities — you are all truly wonderful parents, and we couldn’t ask for anything more.
If
you were paying attention , maybe you noticed that I’ve only discussed two of the three defining features of the Class of 2014. Authenticity and tradition, while a big part of our grade’s incredible aura, could not exist without solidarity. Solidarity: unity of feeling or action; mutual support within a group. It is what has, quite literally, unified every aspect of 2014. It is what sets us apart from seniors of the past. I can speak on behalf of every all-girls’ school student when I say that the first question you receive after informing someone of your single-sex education is about the drama and competitiveness between the girls. Our class has had its fair share of drama and competition but the difference is the unfaltering support and respect that we give to and receive from each other. We cheer each other on no matter what the situation; we try our best to squeeze 68 of us into one lounge just because we thoroughly enjoy each other’s company; we schedule outside events for our whole grade to spend more time with each other. That is something you don’t find in every class, to know that come five years from now, when we enter the front doors, we will see each other and it will be like we never left. We may lose touch, but I can say without a doubt in my mind that when Bridget advances the Syracuse lacrosse team to the Final Four we’ll all be following the games or sitting in
“As you all can see, we have put our teachers and our parents through a lot, and yet they still have supported us, loved us, and laughed with us without faltering.” the stands; when Rachel takes the stage to recite her inaugural address we’ll all be glued to the TV or standing outside the White House; when Autumn opens her pharmacy, we’ll all line up and ask for discounts, which she won’t give; and when we come back for our 50th Reunion, we won’t let our canes stop us from dancing to Beyoncé.
T his
part was the hardest . How do I tell the 67 of you how much you mean to me without sounding cliché or fake. Especially when I have my back to all of you — so excuse me for a moment. When I go to college and I talk about life back home, I will talk about my mom, my dad, my fat puggle and then casually let them know about my 69 sisters: Megan, Courtney, and the Class of 2014. I look around and I see more fabulous personalities together on one stage then you will find in all of Pennsylvania; I can’t imagine that it’s just some crazy coincidence. We all have contributed to making each other who
we are today because of the support, the cheers, the laughter (most of all the laughter) that we shared. I don’t know for sure if everything will turn out the way you hope it does, but I know that all of you will make it through because we’re 2014 and we can do anything. I know you are all thinking it so I may as well just address the elephant in the room: We are the best grade this school has ever seen.
M embers
of the C lass of 2014 , I said it once, I’ll say it 100 times, we truly are one of a kind, we came in like a wrecking ball and took Irwin’s by storm, we laughed in the face of uncertain futures and twerked through the blunders and triumphs of senior year. In the words of Queen B herself, “I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time, know there was ... something that I left behind. When I leave this world, I’ll leave no regrets, Leave something to remember, so they won’t forget, I was here.”
Commencement 2014 :: www.agnesirwin.org
41
Commencement 2014 Awards HISTORY PRIZE Allison Freiwald
PHI BETA KAPPA Karen Brown
MATH PRIZE Karen Brown
ENGLISH PRIZE Dani Smith Karen Brown
CLASSICS PRIZE Greek: Allison Freiwald Latin: Grace Alburger
ARTS PRIZES Tillie Clower Paige Davis
SCIENCE PRIZE Karen Brown
MODERN LANGUAGE PRIZE French: Caroline Greco Justine Breuch Spanish: Lindsay Ryan Justine Breuch
Class Night Awards 1932 Prize: Kristin Helber 1936 Prize: Justine Breuch
Honor Kilt Award: Heather Crosby Caroline Greco Ryshena Providence
AATF Outstanding High School Senior in French Award: Elizabeth Miller
IMPULSE PRIZES
1915 Prize: Kathryn Wenger
AATSP Outstanding High School Senior in Spanish Award: Larissa Wietlisbach Agnes Dixon Rowland Art Prize: Kristin Helber Agnes Irwin School Choral Music Award: Paige Davis Agnes Irwin School Theatre Prize: Candace Hightower American Chemical Society — Philadelphia Section Award: Anna Kramer Bradford Fogarty Award: Heather Crosby Bryn Mawr President’s Book Award: Bridget Pansini Carolyn Stockton Brown Prize: Gabriela Rodriguez Prianka Bedi Catherine Rieser Drama Award: Meredith Rupp Dana Goldsborough Award: Molly Clark Daphne Apostolidis Award: Bridget Chakey Elizabeth McNamee Dorothy Haviland Nelson Latin Prize: Sophia Lindner Hunter Sessa
• For Best Prose: Meredith Rupp • For Best Poetry: Paige Davis • For Best Art Work: Jessica Miller Jeanne Clery Award: Ryshena Providence
JEAN FARLEY AWARD • French: Prianka Bedi and Sofia Xargay • Spanish: Grace Alburger and Amy Miles Jean Wike-Faust ’49 Opportunity Grant: Nile Harris and Meredith Rupp Leadership by Example Award: Riley Powers, 9th Grade; Abigail Rubin, 10th Grade
LUCY M. KNAUER MODERN LANGUAGE PRIZE • French: Mercy O’Malley • Spanish: Amber Dai
Princeton University Book Award: Lauren Schafrank Priscilla MacNeal Fine Arts Award: Devon Stahl R. Patricia Trickey Prize: Caroline Greco (Senior Assembly topic: Multiracial Families); Rachel Sun (Senior Assembly topic: Culture Shock); Catherine Wulff (Senior Assembly topic: Humans of New York-HONY); Rensselaer Mathematics and Science Award: Alva Jiang Robotics Recognition Award: Andrea Baric Karen Brown Smith College Book Award: Katerina Smith
SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS, PHILADELPHIA SECTION — CERTIFICATE OF MERIT PROGRAM • High Honor: Nicole Paradis Lauren Schafrank • Highest Honor: Laura Dallara Sophy Dallas Irwin Prize: Allison Freiwald Lindsay Ryan Stephanie Christie Athletic Award: Emily Speakman University of Chicago Book Award: Mercy O’Malley
Margot LeBoutillier Aldrich Award: Caroline Brehman
University of Pennsylvania Book Award: Haley Brumberger
Edward Stephen Sacks Prize for Outstanding Senior in Classics: Allison Freiwald
Martha Goppelt Award: Meryem Cebeci, Lauren Schafrank and Rachel Rudnicki
University of Rochester and Xerox Corporation Award for Innovation and Information Technology: Amber Dai
ELEANOR ROSS CEDERSTROM LATIN & GREEK AWARDS
Media Arts Award: Stephanie Webster, Graphic Design Molly Clark, New Media
University of Virginia’s Jefferson Book Award: Caitlin Looby
• Latin: Mia Ciallella
Mount Holyoke Book Award: Brynn Buonocore
Yale Book Award: Meryem Cebeci
NATIONAL MERIT RECOGNITION
ATHLETIC AWARDS
• National Merit Scholar: Anne Mentzinger
Senior Athlete Award: Morgan Pergolini
• National Achievement Scholar: Sofia Rodriguez
Blue Belt Award: Emma Hill
• National Hispanic Scholar: Sofia Xargay
Carter Mannion Award: Kristin Burnetta, Sophomore Heather Crosby, Junior
Dorothy Sisson Smythe Award: Haley Brumberger
• Greek: Meryem Cebeci Harvard Club of Philadelphia Book Award: Laura Dallara Head of School Award: Prianka Bedi Heather Thiermann Writing Prize: Anna Kramer Morgan Smith
Photography Award: Caroline Brehman
Wellesley College Book Award: Lauren Spinelli
White Blazer Award: Elizabeth Spitz
42
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
College Choices for the Class of 2014 American University Sarah Anne Davies
Amanda Briana Miller Ryshena Nicole Providence
Northeastern University Autumn Symone Wedderburn
University of South Carolina Lauren Julia Fabiano
Bard College Julie Rebecca Fryer
Duquesne University Jean Rex Geary
Occidental College Ruoxi Zhang
Boston College Prianka Julia Bedi b
Elon University Alexandra Bater Caroline Charlotte Brehman Emma Joughin Vanessa Carolina Tercero Stephanie Anne Webster
Pennsylvania State University Jane Finkenstaedt Jennifer Ashley Heckman j Caroline Emily Scarlato
University of Southern California Justine Seraphine Breuch bj Tillie Louise Clower
Fordham University Leilei Liu
Southern Methodist University Carter Lee Smith
Franklin and Marshall College Caroline J. Greco b Kathryn Marie Wenger
Syracuse University Brielle Autumn Brown Bridget Anne Chakey Lydia Benchoff Whitehead
Boston University Clarissa Kuo Bowdoin College Elizabeth Kathryn Miller bj Bucknell University Kelly Anne Manning Clemson University Alexandra Elizabeth Frangiosa Colby College Emma Rose Howard College of William and Mary Chuyun Mao Cornell University Karen Elizabeth Brown b Amy Moran Miles Jenna Nicole Roland b
The George Washington University Paige Elisabeth Davis Lindsay Scott Ryan bj
Dartmouth College Laura June Donald
Georgetown University Grace Marie Alburger bj Sara Elizabeth Bastian b Rachel Hansen Larissa Ester Wietlisbach b Anna Charlotte Yass
Dickinson College Erika Irene Gibb
Harvard College Allison Seidenberg Freiwald bj
Drexel University Andrea Kathleen Baric Yelizaveta Leonidovna Borodyanskaya Marissa Elizabeth Julia Hill
Lehigh University Emily Ann Speakman New York University Ziyu Sun
Saint Joseph’s University Candace Janel Hightower
University of Virginia Madalyn Connell McLennan Virginia Commonwealth University Morgan Catherine Pergolini Wake Forest University Laura Daniela Ester Smith Washington College Gabrielle Dilliard Coroniti
Trinity College Olivia Margaret Hardt Godfrey
Washington University in St. Louis Alexandra Marie Hammarskjold
University of Denver Madison Rae Schmidt
Wellesley College Sofia Xargay v
University of Michigan Katherine Elizabeth Kania
Wesleyan University Elizabeth Spitz Catherine Joy Wulff
University of Notre Dame Meghan Brennan University of Pennsylvania Annabel Phelps Lewis b Elizabeth Page McNamee b Madeline Claire Rosato b Nolan I. Wein University of Pittsburgh Caroline Anne Shreckengast
National Merit Designations: National Merit Finalist j National Merit Commended National Achievement Outstanding Participant v National Hispanic Scholar b Cum Laude Society
Commencement 2014 :: www.agnesirwin.org
43
Because of you...
WE DARED to DO MORE A CELEBRATION OF GENEROSITY of the many parents, past parents, grandparents, alumnae and trustees at the culmination of our successful $40 million capital campaign took place on October 2 in the Student Life Center. Head of School Dr. Wendy L. Hill led the applause in thanking those present and offered special praise for Jim Buck, Campaign Chair, and Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ’77, Chair of the Board of Trustees, for their dedication and leadership over the past three years. Liz and Matthew Kamens, trustee, P ’13, ’19, campaign donors who named the new Admissions Suite.
Susan Hirtle McEvoy ’00, a member of the National Alumnae Advisory Council, spoke poignantly about her Agnes Irwin experience and how it helped shape her life. She told the assembled group that their gifts were “a strategic investment in strong women leaders. Each of you has a personal connection to AIS and what it means to you, your daughters, your families. We show our affection and appreciation for our AIS experience by giving.”
Carole and John Bartholdson, P ’96, ’06 (rear) with Bill and Laura Buck, past trustee, P ’74, ’77, ’82, GP ’10, ’18. Laura led the alumnae challenge for the campaign.
44
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
— Pat Voigt
Elisa and Michael Pansini, P ’15, ’16, ’18 and ’20 chat with Barb Miles, P ’14; their daughters are all athletic stars.
Lloyd and Thatcher Brown, past trustee, P ’92, ’94 meet Dr. Hill.
Marc Richman, trustee, P ’13, Jerry Lawrence P ’18, ’21 and Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ’77, P ’13, Chair of the Board of Trustees, share a laugh together at the party.
Wigs Frank, Chair of the History Department, and Susan Hirtle McEvoy ’00, member of the NAAC, featured speaker at the Donor Thank You event.
Ray Welsh, P ’79, past trustee, with Betty Moran, past trustee, P ’74, ’76, ’85, GP ’02, ’04, ’13. Both served as Honorary Chairs of the Dare to Do More campaign.
George Dorrance, P ’03, ’07, Jim Buck, P ’13, ’15 and ’17, Chair of the Dare to Do More campaign, Derek Pew, trustee, P ’13, ’16 and Blair Baron.
Dare to Do More :: www.agnesirwin.org
45
ANNIE
murphy paul ’91 46
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
That, Annie Murphy Paul ’91 would argue, is the illusion of explanatory depth: A person may believe they have a handle on the specifics of a topic, but when asked to provide an account of how it operates, they realize they actually have no idea. That’s what makes asking someone to explain a concept, mechanism or idea an excellent gauge of real learning — and a useful study tool. Paul, author of the forthcoming Brilliant: The Science of Getting Smarter, returned to her alma mater on Oct. 16 to discuss the empirical evidence and social science of how humans learn. In an Upper School assembly, after-school session with faculty, and an evening presentation for the larger Agnes Irwin community, Paul examined the various ways we do — and should — think about intelligence. Speaking to Upper School students in West-Wike Theatre from the stage where she delivered her senior assembly 23 years ago, Paul laid out four illusions of learning — factors that make us believe we know more than we actually do — as well as ways to combat them. One strategy for doing so is utilizing “desirable difficulties,” Paul explained — making information recall harder on purpose, so the mind must work harder to retrieve it. An example would be using “interleaving” in math homework: Rather than grouping similar problems together, students should intermix questions requiring different problem-solving strategies, forcing their minds to work harder to retrieve the strategy necessary.
ke ahn da M man
M
ost people feel reasonably confident that they understand how a lock works, or a toaster. But try your hand at actually explaining how either object works, step by step, and you might realize there’s a lot you don’t know. How does a key fit into a front door, exactly? What happens when you turn the key? Isn’t there some kind of pin that does … something?
By A
THINKING ABOUT thinking
Paul also discussed the ineffectiveness of highlighters, which can leave students with a sense of familiarity upon rereading — only to realize upon sitting down to the test that their knowledge has evaporated. A better strategy is focusing on connections across the material, rather than isolated concepts, by using “elaborative interrogation.” Every few sentences, the reader pauses and asks why. Why did Churchill do that? What made the framers of the Constitution react that way? Stopping to ask forces connections and integration with the rest of the text, which leads to better retention, Paul explained. Our memories do not retain knowledge indefinitely. However, every time we recall or “retrieve” a memory, the memory becomes stronger and longer-lasting. Thus for students, putting the textbook away and self-quizzing is a useful way to cement knowledge. So is studying over a longer period of time, rather than cramming — which only works in the short-term. By spacing studying out and recalling that information periodically, students can have almost double the retention rate. Paul gave AIS faculty and staff pointers on how these concepts apply to teaching techniques, as well as how interest and passion play into student achievement. Paul also shared with parents during an evening program, noting that often people’s intuition about how the mind operates are wrong. “Relationships are the most powerful vector for learning and growth,” Paul said in her opening remarks, “and those relationships have to be actively initiated and cultivated.” She went on to provide scientific insights through the lens of social science, including research about people and why they do what they do. The program was presented through the Center for the Advancement of Girls, and sponsored by the Clower Family Speakers’ Fund and the Class of 1957 Speakers’ Series Endowed Fund.
Alumnae :: www.agnesirwin.org
47
ALUMNAE
Reunion
2014
THE CAMPUS WAS BUZZING
IN THE SPRING, we hosted our first Reunion
RECIPIENTS of the Alumnae awards were Nini
Weekend in our new building. Alumnae were excited to
Reinhardt ’39 (The Alumnae Award) and Allie Strawbridge ’99
come back to campus and see all the exciting new changes.
(Young Alumnae Award). Annual Giving Awards were
It was a huge success, with hundreds of alumnae gathering
presented to the Class of 1974 and the Class of 1979 (a tie!)
throughout the weekend. During their two days on campus,
for the highest total dollar amount raised (Sophy Dallas Irwin
alumnae reconnected with classmates, friends, and faculty —
Award) and to the Class of 1964 (shown on page 50) for the
it was wonderful to see so many women sharing stories and
highest percentage of participation (Loving Cup).
memories of their days at Agnes Irwin.
48
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
with alumnae from 1944 – 2009 (those class years ending in a 4 or 9) coming together to celebrate their alma mater and lifelong friendships made here. Alumnae kicked off the weekend with a cocktail party Friday night in the Anne S. Lenox Lobby. On Saturday, alumnae enjoyed campus tours given by current students, class receptions, and a luncheon and awards ceremony in the Student Life Center. Many alumnae enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon cheering on our varsity lacrosse team .
— Compiled by Brooke Norrett ’95
ALUMNAE
Alumnae Awards Alumnae Award The Alumnae Award is presented annually to an alumna who has made a significant contribution of service to the School in a volunteer capacity. This year Virginia “Nini” Ligget Reinhardt celebrated her 75th Reunion — a remarkable occasion in of itself. In the 75 years since she graduated, Nini has been a loyal alumna. She served for many years on the Alumnae Board and she still serves as a class representative. Nini has worked on 15 Reunion celebrations and can often be found writing notes to classmates, encouraging them to donate to the Agnes Irwin Fund and planning events for them to celebrate their time at AIS. The Alumnae Association, is delighted to call Nini one of their own.
Young Alumna Award The Heather B. Thiermann ’81, Class of 1981, Young Alumna Award is presented in Heather’s memory to a young alumna in the 5th, 10th, or 15th year class who has made an outstanding contribution through her community interests or her professional or academic pursuits. Allie Strawbridge, Class of 1999, is a producer for the Nickelodeon show Bubble Guppies. She has been with Nickelodeon for over 10 years and started as an intern in the Development department in her senior year at Connecticut College. Last year, Allie won an Emmy Award for her production work on Bubble Guppies. Allie has an incredible work ethic and a tenacity to keep going even when the task at hand seems impossible.
“Nini” Ligget Reinhardt ’39
Class of 1974 (opposite page) and Class of 1979 (above) tie for the Sophy Dallas Irwin Award for the highest total dollar amount raised.
Alumnae :: www.agnesirwin.org
49
ALUMNAE
Golden Anniversary Luncheon
50
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
ALUMNAE
1959
1969
1984
1989
1994
1999
2004
2009
2009
Young Alumnae Cocktails
Alumnae :: www.agnesirwin.org
51
ALUMNAE
Our Alumnae Network in the Palm of Your Hand
Introducing EverTrue — Agnes Irwin’s New Alumnae Community App!
In June, Agnes Irwin launched the mobile app EverTrue, a new and easy way for alumnae to stay connected with each other and the School. The app for iPad, iPhone and Android devices provides secure access to features such as an alumnae directory, a “nearby map,” and information from LinkedIn, Facebook and social media streams. The app is accessible exclusively to AIS alumnae through the use of the email addresses on record with the School. With EverTrue, you can email classmates, make calls, and even sync your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts with the directory right from your mobile device. You can also sync with alumnae directories of colleges and universities you attended if they support the EverTrue app. Having EverTrue on your mobile device also creates an easy way to keep in touch and support Agnes Irwin. You can contact us if you wish for your information to remain private.
How does EverTrue help you network and connect? CONNECT WITH CLASSMATES Use the EverTrue map to see classmates who are nearby your current location, whether you’re at home or traveling. From their profiles you can connect with them on LinkedIn directly.
SEARCH FOR JOBS The EverTrue app is an effective resource for alumnae who are looking to network professionally or are job hunting. Through the app’s filters and directory, a user can search through the alumnae database to find fellow alumnae in a specific field. For example, you can reach out to classmates who work in finance to ask them about entering the field or about their experience at a certain company.
MOVING TO A NEW CITY? When moving to a new city, the map feature is a great way for alumnae to connect with each other. You can connect with classmates in your new area and perhaps get together for coffee or dinner and learn more about your new neighborhood!
52
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
INVITE YOUR AIS FRIENDS EverTrue has an easy way to find former classmates and friends by simply searching by name, town, and class years. You can invite others in the directory, in your email contacts or in Facebook and LinkedIn to join your network.
Download the EverTrue AIS Community App and start networking today!
ALUMNAE
FAQs How do I get EverTrue on my mobile device? Search for “EverTrue” in the Apple App store or the Google Play store. Once you download the app and open it, you will be prompted to search for your community. Type in The Agnes Irwin School and select the correct community. EverTrue supports iOS 6 and 7, and Android 2.3 and above.
Who can use the AIS Alumnae EverTrue community? Any AIS alumna may use it! Your information is protected, and only AIS alums may access it.
How do I log in once I’ve downloaded EverTrue and selected the AIS community? You can sign in with an email and password, or authenticate with LinkedIn. To confirm your account and access to the email chosen, you’ll need to click on a confirmation link that will be sent to you via email.
What does it mean when my information is under review? If your email address does not match what AIS has on file, they will use your name, class year, and other information you supply to confirm your identity.
About EverTrue
How do I customize my privacy settings or update my contact information? Unless you indicate otherwise, all of your contact information will appear on the app; this includes name, street, city, state, country, phone number, email address, education, and place of employment. To exclude your contact information from EverTrue, please call Brooke Norrett in the Alumnae Office at 610-526-1675.
How do I search for people using the directory? Type the name of the person you are seeking in the search box. You also have the option to search by class year by typing a year into the search box.
How do I search for people nearby? Click on the Alumnae Nearby tab in the sidebar navigation. A map will appear with pushpins indicating people in your area. Clicking on one of the pushpins will open that alum’s listing in the directory. You may also click the icon in the top right corner of the map to view a list of people nearby. To search for an alum in the map feature, click on the search icon on the bottom of the map. Are you traveling and looking to visit AIS people in other cities? You may search for users across the globe by entering any zip code, city, state or country, and the map feature will show you that location along with people in that part of the world. You can also click the filter icon on the map page to narrow your results.
The Alumnae Nearby feature functionality is based on the Preferred Address that AIS has on file for you. It is not tracking you in real time. Therefore, if you have identified your home address as your preferred address with us, that is where your pin will appear on the map. If you identified your business address as your preferred address, your pin will appear in that location.
How do I connect using my LinkedIn and Facebook accounts? The app allows you to connect and network with other people using LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. When you first log into the app, you will be asked if you would like to connect via LinkedIn and/or Facebook. You may choose one, both or neither. Your LinkedIn and Facebook profile information will then be added to your EverTrue profile. Once you are in the app, you can view information that people have included in their LinkedIn and Facebook profiles along with the number of connections you have in common. Anything marked as private in LinkedIn remains private. Don’t forget to list The Agnes Irwin School in the education field in your LinkedIn profile, and be sure to join The Agnes Irwin School LinkedIn group!
Alumnae :: www.agnesirwin.org
53
ALUMNAE
September 19, 2014
Alumnae Welcome Reception for Dr. Wendy L. Hill
:: Dr. Wendy L. Hill, 13th Head of School, addresses and thanks alumnae
:: The National Alumnae Advisory Council dedicates the fireplace in the Anne S.
Lenox Lobby. Left to right: Courtney Leimkuhler ’97, Maggie Poulos ’95. Sarah Roth ’94, Suzy Mitchell Davis ’58, Lindsey Wilkins Press ’01, Kelly Malloy ’93, Kristin Heim Mowry ’88, Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld ’77, Courtney Fretz ’98
:: Margie Clark Stevens ’65, Chandi Ziesing Smith ’63, :: Class of 1977 classmates: Sydney Cruice Dixon, Susy Clark Ogden ’62
:: Megan Burnett ’99, Alexandra Fergusson Powell ’00, Tracy Solomon Dowling ’01, Courtney Fretz ’98, and Christine Kuhinka ’81 gather to welcome Dr. Hill
54
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
Sandy Williams Crockett, Ann Laupheimer Sonnenfeld, Polly Warren Coxe, Ellen van Pelt Jordan
:: Lindsay McCown DuBarry ’76, Cindy Hooper Bell ’79,
:: Members of the 2014–15 Alumnae Board in the
Meredith DuBarry Huston ’93
Alumnae Lobby — a space dedicated by the Alumnae Board in the Dare to Do More Capital Campaign. Back row: Christine Kuhinka ’81, Jen Keh Creary ’93, Polly Warren Coxe ’77 Middle row: Ellen Van Pelt Jordan ’77, Chandi Ziesing Smith ’63, Molly Scudder ’02 Front row: Courtney Preston Crosby ’76, Alexandra Fergusson Powell ’00
:: 2007 Classmates Suzy Welsh and Adriana Vetrano Cornell
CLASS NOTES
C la ss Notes STAY CONNECTED!
Please send us your Class Notes for inclusion in the 2015 spring issue by January 1, 2015. You may submit them three ways: Online: www.agnesirwin.org (in the Alumnae Portal) Email: alumnae@agnesirwin.org Mail: Alumnae Office, P.O. Box 407, Rosemont, PA 19010
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 1940–1949 Barbara Penrose Tarbell ’49 sends a big hello to all her classmates. Barbara is remaining active and well in New Hampshire. She enjoys sketching (mostly dogs, horses and children), reading and taking her chocolate Labrador retriever, Abbie, for daily walks along the coast. Abbie is a recent rescue dog from rural Georgia and is a sweet girl and a true companion dog. On Thursdays, Barbara volunteers in the church thrift shop.
1950–1959
:: The family of Jean Wilson Ward ’26 dedicates a tree along Phelps Field in her honor. From left to right: Topsy Ward, Bill Ward, Victoria Ward and Peter Ward
Pauline Carrigan Charles ’54 writes, “I was so sorry to miss our Reunion but my husband, Dick, had a hip replacement, and I just couldn’t make it. It was the first one I have missed, too. We have moved to a retirement community, Cornwall Manor, in Cornwall, PA — not too far from Annville, where we have been for 26 years. My sisters and their husbands visited this summer, and we had a great time!”
Class Notes :: www.agnesirwin.org
55
CLASS NOTES 1960–1969 Charlotte Ziesing Smith ’63 writes, “I want all to know that I am on to a new phase! I have retired from active investment management and am looking to capitalize on my people skills honed over many years of caring for my clients. So my focus these days is to find a position that is needed for the fall. I am not one to let grass grow under my feet! I am also finishing up physical therapy for a right shoulder surgery, which I had in June. At this point, I am almost back to normal but am told it will be December at the earliest to feel like a normal two-armed person again. I am looking forward to my newest phase and also looking forward to my granddaughter Hanna’s wedding in June 2015 to a wonderful young man, Josh. This is so much fun! Hope you all have had a great summer!
Cynthia Drayton ’69 is the associate editor of MODERN Magazine and its sister magazine ANTIQUES. Her interests include Shaker and art deco furniture, American silver, and jewelry, along with a particular passion for European and Chinese export porcelain. To further her passion, she loves attending antiques shows, exhibitions and auction previews. While responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information in both MODERN and ANTIQUES as the fact checker since 2005, she also writes for both magazines. Her focus is on American and European decorative arts from the 18th century through the mid-20th. In 1995, Cynthia earned a master’s degree in the history of decorative arts and design from Parsons The New School and Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. After Cooper-Hewitt, she worked as a research assistant on two exhibitions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s curator of American porcelain and glass; then she joined the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, as an assistant curator, where her exhibitions included “China Trade in New England: A Connecticut Captain’s Legacy.” Cynthia, her husband, Jim Rowbotham, who also grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and Ruggles,
their 11-year-old Scottish terrier, reside in Tudor City during the week and on Long Island for most weekends.
1970–1979 Linda Kelly Graves ’70 writes, “Hope all is well at AIS! Kathryn ’06 is in NYC working for MKG Productions as an assistant producer. MKG is an experiential marketing firm, and she is getting a chance to use her stage management skills from her AIS and Syracuse days. My dad passed away in 2011, but my mom is going strong and soon to be 90. I continue to work full time as a nurse practitioner in infertility. Can’t believe my class will hit our 45th in 2015!” Caroline Lutton Nunez ’70 says, “My biggest news is that I got my pharmacy technician license last summer! A new career at age 61! I work for a small CVS near my home, and can walk to work. Domingo and I have been married almost 41 years and our daughter just turned 40! We have two grandsons, ages 9 and 14. I was so sorry to miss our 40th Reunion and hope to attend our 45th Reunion in May.”
:: Sisters Judy Carrigan Sykes ’59, Pauline Carrigan Charles ’54 and Joan Carrigan Forrester ’57
:: Sean Legnini, son of Betsy Moran Legnini ’76 and sister of Allyson Legnnin ’04, marries Michelle Mueller on :: Members of the Class of 1954 reunite at the
May 31, 2014, at Brushwood Farm in Malvern, PA.
home of Pauline Carrigan Charles: Margo Tryon Bennett, Pauline Carrigan Charles, Susy Brandt
:: Joan Lee Kremer ’58, Alix Rockwell Jacobs ’59
and Pauline Marshall San Roman ’59 got together when Pauline was visiting from Madrid
56
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
:: Middy Dorrance ’67 hosted classmates at her home in June. Front row, left to right: Carol Koelle Webber, Jody Chandlee Fitts, Margie Butler D’Esterhazy. Back row, left to right: Karla Schuette Bok, Annie Grauer, Winkie Wheeler, Hannah Stringer Manry
CLASS NOTES 1990–1999 Courtney Miles Mulholland ’92 writes, “The past 12 months have been remarkable. I started teaching at the National Cathedral School, an independent girls’ school in Washington, D.C. in September 2013. NCS reminds me of Agnes Irwin in many ways. And, apparently, at some point Agnes Irwin was offered the position of Head of School at National Cathedral School but turned it down to create her own school. I love my new job in the Upper School at NCS because it is a perfect combination of academia and the support for the development of young women. Also, I and my husband Aaron Mulholland, whom I married in September 2012, welcomed our son, Harrison Edward Williams Mulholland, into the world on February 6, 2014. Harrison has drastically changed our lives, and except for sleep deprivation, it has all been for the better. I loved reconnecting with some of my classmates at our Reunion a couple of years ago and love seeing their activities on Facebook!” Alex Kahoe ’95 has been named the new head women’s lacrosse coach at Saint Joseph’s University. Alex was most recently the head girls’ varsity lacrosse coach at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and is the third head coach in program history at SJU.
Tara Malloy ’95 was named the new History Department chairperson at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, DE, where she has taught 9th, 10th and 11th grades since 2007. Tara has been particularly involved with the 9th grade World History program. She is the 9th grade head class advisor and developed an orientation program for 9th graders entering the Upper School. Tara is also the assistant coach for the varsity lacrosse team. Kathleen Lamperez Brito ’96 married Theo Cafaro Brito on Saturday, May 17, 2014, in a Catholic Mass at Our Lady of Pompeii Church in New York, NY. The reception was held on the rooftop of The Nomad Hotel, also in New York City. Since graduating from Boston University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and advertising, Kathleen has been living and working in NYC for the last 10 years as a digital media executive and has held multiple positions at leading advertising agencies, including Razorfish and Publicis. Theo works in finance and is currently an equities analyst at a leading trading company in NYC. After the wedding, they spent their honeymoon in Paris. They live in the West Village neighborhood of NYC.
2000–2009 Elisa Makoon-Singh Advani ’00 joined the law firm Haggerty, Goldberg, Schleifer & Kupersmith, P.C. in September 2014. Elisa began her career as an attorney with the City of Philadelphia Law Department, representing the Department of Revenue. Elisa now represents individuals and uses her Spanish language skills to reach out to Hispanic communities. Elisa’s practice focuses on personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, slip/ trip and fall, and premises liability. Christine Ramsey ’01 received her Ph.D. from the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD. Her research focused on improving physical, cognitive and mental health among older adults, and she was the recipient of the Morton Kramer Award for Excellence in the application of bio statistical and epidemiologic methods in her research. Chrissie has accepted a position as a special informatics fellow at the West Haven Veterans Administration Hospital, and she will continue her research in mental health and aging within the VA system.
:: 1996 alumnae celebrate the wedding of Kathleen Lamprez and Theo Britto. From left to right: Emily Geer Hippler, Brooke Laverell Gilbert, Kathleen Lamprez Britto, Blair Sieff Kimmel, Kim Carville Von Der Leith
:: Emily Murphy Beaver ’00, with her husband,
James, and son, Ronan James, and their Shih Tzu, Preston
:: Tracy Otley Viola ’96 with her husband, Mike, and daughters, Ashley, 6, and Erin, 2
:: Tara Malloy ’95
:: Stephanie Haldy ’00 marries Ryan Kelly on June 14, 2014. Alumnae in attendance were. Back row, left to right: Laurie Hugill ’03, Jennifer Lattif Stoud ’00, Lizzy Sall ’00, Allison Dodd ’00, Katie Alburger Christopher ’99, Stephanie Haldy Kelly ’00, Katie Komlo Seward ’01, Jennifer Platow ’00, Catherine Haldy Jarman ’98 and Jodi Housman ’00. Front row, left to right: Annie Casey Milligan ’95 and Shannon Carey Zimolong ’00
Class Notes :: www.agnesirwin.org
57
Abbe Wright ’03 is a contributing editor at Glamour magazine in New York City. She is heading up the magazine’s 2015 Top Ten College Women contest, seeking out the best and the brightest young women from the Class of 2016. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, and sees fellow classmates Winnie Schulz, Ali Gonzalez-Martinez, Sarah Calvert, and Amanda Earl often. Anastasia Dorrance Grillo ’03 married Robert Grillo on June 28, 2014, at the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA. Anastasia had four alumnae as her bridesmaids. Anastasia and her husband, Rob, currently live in Conshohocken with their dog, Chase. In August, Anastasia joined The Agnes Irwin School as the Upper School counselor. Ann Duckett ’05 recently moved back to Philadelphia to study at La Salle University, where she is working toward a master’s degree in speech language pathology. Annie plans to explore the therapeutic benefits of theater, singing, music and yoga for those with speech, language, and communication disorders.
Danielle Kays Garcia ’05 was married November 16, 2013, to Alexander Garcia at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, PA. She had three classmates in her wedding: Elizabeth Kovich, Carley Razzi Mack and Elise Conway. Danielle and Alexander live in Old City, Philadelphia. In September 2014, Ludmila Crowther ’07 was promoted to account manager at HAVAS LYNX (havaslynx.com), a leading global healthcare communications company based in Manchester, England. She is responsible for developing the global strategic and creative digital workshops, programs and assets for a pharmaceutical company. Not only does she get to travel the world with work, but their headquarters are based in the U.S., enabling her to see family and friends more frequently. During the same month, Ludmila was selected by HAVAS LYNX to be the 2014 representative at the One Young World Summit (oneyoungworld.com) to be held in Dublin in late October. One Young World is the preeminent global forum for young leaders
:: 2004 alumnae gather at the wedding of Lauren Lamplugh Traeger. From left to right: Alana Martin, Allyson Legnini, Lauren Lamplugh Traeger, Megan Klein and Dana Meyer
under 30 and gathers the brightest young leaders from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections and develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. Building on the summit, her local and global community support efforts, and the internal training program LX Academy, Ludmila will be responsible for developing the corporate social responsibility program at HAVAS LYNX for 2015. Ludmila enjoys continuing playing lacrosse and was appointed co-captain of a local Manchester team that competes against other major city teams across England. Andi Lucas ’07 started physician assistant school at Drexel University this fall. She is still keeping up with lots of classmates and shared some news about other ’07 alumnae. Allison Ianovale just got engaged to Shaun Kent — so fun! Adriana Vetrano married Ben Cornell on September 6, 2014, in Martha’s Vineyard. Her classmate Ludmila Crowther recently moved to Manchester, England. Both Alice Goldberg and Alexandra Greco are in New York
:: Fun in the sun! 2005 alumnae enjoy a weekend
in Miami, FL. From top to bottom: Olivia Romeo, Kate Morsbach, Carley Razzi Mack, Sara Marcus, Charlotte Hamilton, Katie Best, Natalie Jones and Libby O’Toole
:: Class of 2005 alumnae Elizabeth Kovich, Carley Razzi Mack and Elise Conway celebrate the wedding of Danielle Kays to Alexander Garcia
58
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
:: 2007 alumnae in San Francisco in February. From left to right: Alana Yoel, Bridget Connolly, Veenie Mahmoud and Jenea Williford
City. Alice is in her final year of law school at Fordham University, and Alexandra is in dental school at Columbia University. Elizabeth Gretz is living in Charlotte, NC, and working for Bank of America, and Caitlin Finnegan is in graduate school at Maryland Institute College of Art. Lissa Roland recently competed in the USGA’s U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Golf in Noblesville, IN. Laura Wagoner ’09 graduated from Franklin and Marshall in May 2013 and began working immediately with the Chester County Republican Committee as the Director of Member Services and Outreach. Since that time, Laura has been promoted to political director and works to cultivate close relationships with many candidates on the local, state and federal levels encompassing Chester County. This past winter, Chester County Sheriff Bunny Welsh nominated Laura for the Hannah Penn Leadership “Rising Star” Award. The Hannah Penn Leadership Award recognizes Pennsylvania women who have been outstanding mentors and role models through their leadership, service and commitment to empowering women and girls in the Commonwealth. In her spare time, Laura is the secretary for the Chester
Country Young Republicans, a member of the Republican Women of Chester County, and an active member at her local firehouse, where she is training to be a firefighter, as well as a member of the Ladies’ Auxiliary. Laura is also a board member for Justice4PAKids, a nonprofit coalition of advocates, survivors, legal and medical professionals and concerned citizens dedicated to bringing greater awareness regarding sexual abuse of children. Laura volunteers for the Youth Mentoring Partnership, helping youth forge character and master goal-setting skills through intense physical fitness and sports. She also volunteers for many charities geared toward women in Chester County.
at the United States Institute of Peace. Sophie is currently a business analyst at MarketBridge, and I am currently a paralegal at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and plan to attend law school in the fall of 2016.”
2010–2014 Caroline Kraeutler ’10 writes, “In September, Meredith Shea ’09 played in the Virginia International Polo Club Annual Charity Match. The match was for the National Sporting Library honoring women in sports. Sophie Rudolph ’09 and I went to the match to support her. Meredith is currently a program assistant for the Rule of Law Center’s Justice and Security Dialogues for Iraq and Tanzania
:: Meredith Shea ’09 (center) played in the Virginia
International Polo Club Annual Charity Match in September. Fellow D.C. alumnae Sophie Rudolph ’09 (left) and Caroline Kraeutler ’10 cheered her on
:: 2007 alumnae at the wedding of Adriana Vetrano
and Ben Cornell September 6 in Martha’s Vineyard. From left to right: Ainsley Gardner, Adriana Vetrano Cornell, Christina Vaganos, Hallie Lincoln, Ellen Barg-Walkow, Kelly Taylor and Molly Bourke
:: Laura Wagoner ’09 meets Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett
:: Anastasia Dorrance married Rob Grillo on June 28, 2014, at Gulph Mills Golf Club. AIS bridesmaids included Molly Scudder ’02, Ashley Eldredge ’03, Mary Carter Dorrance ’07 and Charlotte Light ’03
Class Notes :: www.agnesirwin.org
59
MILESTONES In Memoriam
Marriages
Birth Announcements
1935 Eloise Chadwick-Collins Sutton December 5, 2013
1996 Kathleen Lamperez to Theo Brito on May 17, 2014
1992 To Ron and Melanie Gaspari Albahary, a girl, Aria Dane August 27, 2014
1936 Elizabeth Dunn Hooff August 1, 2014
1997 Lauren Staple to Joshua Zinns on September 13, 2014
1994 To Brendan and Ashley Vanarsdall Burke, a girl, Emerson Lee July 13, 2014
1939 Sarah Biddle Stokes September 6, 2014 1943 Priscilla Wood Keelins January 11, 2014 1951 Angela Giribaldi Hurtubise July 16, 2014 1951 Louise Esler Pace July 10, 2014 1954 Jean Alexander Gerhardt August 4, 2014 1960 Alexandra Brock January 25, 2014 1965 Susan Cantrell Gilchris April 19, 2014 1966 Hermitra Crecraft July 31, 2014 1996 Corinne Coughenour Falencki August 8, 2014
2000 Stephanie Haldy to Ryan Kelly on June 14, 2014 2003 Anastasia Dorrance to Robert Grillo on June 28, 2014 2004 Elizabeth Hird to Tony Webb on April 17, 2014 2004 Lauren Lamplugh to Steve Trauger on June 6, 2014 2004 Hadley Rouse to Brice Russ on May 17, 2014 2005 Danielle Kays to Alexander Garcia on November 16, 2013 2005 Anita Sellers to Austin Helfrich on August 9, 2014 2007 Adriana Vetrano to Ben Cornell on September 6, 2014
60
Submit updates online at www.agnesirwin.org, via email to alumnae@agnesirwin.org or by phone at 610.525.6125.
The Agnes Irwin School :: Fall 2014 Magazine
1995 To Michael and Page Callaghan Pisapia, a boy, Elliott Charles May 24, 2014 1995 To Dave and Mary Beth Noel Todd, a girl, Elise Noel June 5, 2014 1996 To Thomas and Elizabeth Kaier Laffont, a boy, Davis Pierre July 14, 2014 1999 To Kerry Warwicker and Anna Greenacre, a girl, Madeleine March 21, 2014 2000 To Alex and Libby Berlacher Bush, a girl, Audrey Catherine May 21, 2014
Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 1043 Conshohocken, PA www.agnesirwin.org Ithan Avenue and Conestoga Road Rosemont, PA 19010-1042 Tel 610.525.8400 Fax 610.525.8908
The Class of 2014
First Row: Ziyu Sun, Sofia Xargay, Erika Gibb, Olivia Godfrey, Lauren Fabiano, Lydia Whitehead, Emily Speakman, Kelly Manning, Sara Bastian, Jean Geary, Alex Frangiosa, Gabrielle Coroniti Second Row: Vanessa Tercero, Brielle Brown, Leilei Liu, Carter Smith, Ruoxi Zhang, Bridget Chakey, Prianka Bedi, Karen Brown, Emma Howard, Caroline Brehman, Jane Finkenstaedt Third Row: Catherine Wulff, Chuyun Mao, Clarissa Kuo, Caroline Shreckengast, Emma Joughin, Grace Alburger, Meghan Brennan, L. Daniela Smith, Madeline Rosato, Elizabeth Spitz, Madison Schmidt, Laura Donald
Fourth Row: Candace Hightower, Katherine Kania, Alexandra Bater, Madalyn McLennan, Stephanie Webster, Jennifer Heckman, Amanda Miller, Andrea Baric, Larissa Wietlisbach, Tillie Clower, Nolan Wein Fifth Row: Caroline Greco, Julie Fryer, Rachel Hansen, Anna Yass, Autumn Wedderburn, Elizabeth Miller, Morgan Pergolini, Jenna Roland, Allison Freiwald, Annabel Lewis, Sarah Davies Sixth Row: Amy Miles, Elizabeth McNamee, Yelizaveta Borodyansky, Paige Davis, Ryshena Providence, Justine Breuch, Victoria Hammarskjold, Caroline Scarlato, Lindsay Ryan, Kathryn Wenger, Marissa Hill